Minding Your Thoughts
A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life
I Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
A willing mind, what a treasure! A mind that is willing means a few things.
It means that there is something going on in the mind. It seems so often that people are becoming more and more like mind numb robots.
A willing mind also means that the mind is being exercised, there is activity there. Thoughts are being processed, plans are being made, the imagination is being used to find new and better ways, exploring possibilities of life, even to the point of adjusting the body to modify one’s behavior. Yes, A willing mind is a working mind.
Also, a willing mind means that there is a will of mind. A will to perform some task, a will that motivates to action, a will that while it yields to God yields to none other, and a will that lends itself to a prosperous future. Consider the firefly. Only while in flight does the firefly glow. While at rest the glow ceases. The same is true with the human mind. While at rest there is no spark of ingenuity, the mind is dark. But a willing mind is a working mind. True, the mind makes nothing, builds nothing, creates nothing of a tangible nature. But it begins the tremendous process of making, building, and creating. For the mind is the starting gate of the will of a person. Strong willing minds cultivate strong living wills.
In all that is to be performed, keeping a willing mind is a first step. There are far too many that are unwilling. Unwilling to learn, unwilling to think, unwilling to change when change is needed, unwilling to actively participate in this wonderfully difficult thing called life. Any mere animal can just go with the flow, or simply react to stimuli, but God made mankind to have a willing mind, one that is proactive, ever learning, and always adapting.
Endeavor to keep a willing mind, open to God’s leadership, and engaged in every aspect of your life. The greatest asset you have is your mind, also, the greatest enemy you have is your mind. But that is perhaps a lesson for another day.
May the Lord Bless and be pleased with your thought life today.
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
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