November 15 2011

All of Your Mind
 
Reading: Matthew 22:34-38, “34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” [NIV]

The mind can sometimes be the most difficult of the three (heart, soul and mind) to give over completely. It seems to be that way because the mind, of all things, seems to be the place that is yours exclusively. We tend to think that we are the only ones that know what is in our mind and we alone are the ones that have the key to open it. We might be able to look at our wife and yet, be thinking about another woman at the same time. We may convince ourselves that our wife has our body, our heart and our life but your mind is yours to live vicariously. This is why God says that He wants all of your mind. He is not even asking you to share 50/50 between He and your wife. He wants it all. Once again, it is because He knows that when you give it all to Him, you will also have the right thoughts about your wife, material possessions, your church, your friends, etc. Love Him with all of your mind and He will help to make your thoughts pleasing to Him. In turn, you will have right thoughts about others. Although, it will be like the elephant in the room, because He already knows your thoughts, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:2) Will you choose to love Him with all of your mind?

What thoughts have you been allowing in that is a clear symptom that you have not truly given God all of your mind?


What can you do today to make a conscious effort to love God with all of your mind? (please remember it is just as important to focus on filling your mind in with good things as you are in removing the bad thoughts)




 

End of the Day Review
  
How were you able to take steps to eliminate the bad thoughts in your mind and replace them with thoughts that are truly given over to the Lord?
 

 Do you sense that you were successful today in loving God with all of your mind, if so, how?