Minding Your Thoughts
A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life
January 1
Genesis 23:8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
How’s your thought life? It has been said by many preachers over the years that the number one battle Christians fight is the war in their mind. Many of our problems are imagined, not real. Controlling one’s mind is vital in living a life that pleases our Father in Heaven. Throughout God’s Holy Bible the words think, mind, thought, and all their derivatives, are used many times. Each day these devotions will highlight one of God’s usages of these words to help us obtain and maintain a Biblical thought life. As a strong disclaimer, I am a Bible based preacher. As such I have no certifications in the area of psychology, nor am I a credentialed counselor of any sort. I am however a student of the Bible, and from that point of view and that alone these Daily Devotions at Dawn on the topic of Minding Your Thoughts are offered. They are simply highlights of God’s revealed Word on the mind, thinking, and thoughts.
The first time the word “mind” is used in Scripture is in the above verse. Abraham’s wife Sarah has died. Being a sojourner in the land Abraham had nowhere to bury her. A negotiation began concerning a plot of land that Abraham desired to purchase from a man named Ephron. During this negotiation Abraham stated something that is often overlooked today. As he was speaking with the sons of Heth, citizens of Kirjatharba, he said: …If it be your mind that I should… This statement confirmed something he knew. Something that it would be good to always remember.
That is, before action is taken, any decision made, or the choice is made to believe anything, one should first know their own mind on the matter. This instills confidence, it causes us to be proactive not reactive, and it allows for all questions to be considered before a decision must be made.
It takes time to know your own mind, it takes introspection, it takes energy to think, sometimes it takes humility to ask others for counsel, and it takes practice. But knowing your own mind is something of real value. It will help you outmaneuver your competitors, energize your activities, solidify your forward moving momentum in life, and will keep you away from your own emotionally based weaknesses.
Abraham said, “if it be your mind.” Consider a marriage proposal. Basically, this is what a person is asking while down on bended knee, “If it be your mind, will you marry me?” although not using those exact words. No doubt the other has already considered this question and probably has a ready answer for it. However, many might be surprised by such a proposal and being caught up in the moment says “yes.” Only later, through sorting out their mind on the matter, that yes may turn into a no.
It is always better to know your mind before making any decision, especially the “big” decisions of life, so called. Sometimes, however, as we will learn it is the little decisions that cause big problems later in life. But for today, the thought is to know your mind on the matter, any matter, every matter. Accordingly, just as Abraham did, encourage those around you to do likewise.
May the Lord Bless and be pleased with your thought life today.
Dr. William T. Howe
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