WE DECIDE WHAT ENTERS OUR MINDS
Last night, I was visiting a friend and noticed a thick booklet lying on a table, entitled Cessna 340 Manual. My friend explained that he was taking delivery on an airplane and was cramming his head full of information about the plane. Clearly, if he means to fly that plane safely, he is wise to commit himself to obeying the instructions in that manual.
My friend has the power to choose to study his manual and fill his mind with airplane facts. A passenger on a commercial airplane can also choose what to do with the mind while in flight:
- Choose a magazine.
- Use earphones that plug into at least six channels for music or speeches.
- Read material he brought on board.
- Write reports, do planning, or other work.
- Sit and think.
- Engage in a conversation.
- Watch the people around him.
- Sleep.
MANY VOICES
You are constantly exchanging ideas with partners, parents, relatives, friends, teachers, preachers, and others.
We are all familiar with the flood of ideas coming at us from the radio, TV, newspapers, books, magazines, pamphlets, movies, billboards, and advertisements.
What will you do with this mass of information that bids for your attention? Remember, it’s your attention. It’s your mind. There is no avoiding your responsibility. There are several options open to you.
First, you have considerable choice of what you will read, look at, or listen to.
Second, once your mind is expose to this mass of ideas, you must decide whether to accept or reject them. You may be well equipped or poorly equipped for the task, but no one can do it for you.
YOU NEED A FILTER
You need a standard to go by. The Bible says:
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 55:8).
Since our thoughts are not His thoughts, nor our ways His ways, we need to make a conscious, deliberate effort to know Him. Just as my friend filled his mind with instructions from the Cessna 340 Manual in order to “fly right,” so we must fill our head with God’s commandments in order to think straight—to develop a basis for keeping acceptable ideas and filtering out the unacceptable ones.
King David, a man after God’s own heart, said of God’s laws:
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes than much fine gold (Psalm 19:7-10).
Again, he says:
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip (Psalm 37:30-31).
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14).
I have more insight than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation (Psalm 119:99).
It is profitable for anyone to invest many hours in the study of the Proverbs. Here are some of them:
If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding: lf you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:3-5).
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate (Proverbs 8:13).
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will find good (Proverbs 19:8).
This is no simple path to follow. The management of your mind is a daily task. It involves continuous study, and no one can do it for you. The apostle Paul gives us some instructions that are attainable by anyone who will pay the price. His advice demands a choice, and this choice must be renewed day by day:
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2-3).