Creations of the Mind: Curse or Blessing?

Everything we do, including every thought and spoken word, is fashioned by the mind. It’s little wonder that God would command us to love him with our entire mind, for it is capable of creating advancements either for this world’s good or for evil so destructive, the pain and suffering in its wake is incomprehensible.

The mind is so diverse that it is often conflicted and pulled in different directions. Albert Einstein in 1931 observed, “Concern for mankind and his fate must be the chief interest of all people so that the creations of our mind shall be a blessing and not a curse.” Each person must guard his own mind and push away evil.

The greatest security against evil’s destructive force is to love God with your entire mind. Love for God guards against evil’s power. 1 John 4:4 reminds us, “Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.” Always maintain an attentiveness for the presence of God’s love in your mind.     

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I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life. Love the Lord your God, obey him and be faithful to him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land.  

~Deuteronomy 30:19-20 Good News Bible

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Renewing Your Mind to Fit God's Purpose

The mind is the most intriguing mystery humanity possesses. The mind can be compared to the most advanced supercomputer; yet these computers cannot compete with the mind’s complexities and expertise. If, however, it becomes overtaxed by prolonged and persistent stress, a temporary shutdown may ensue.

Because of the present emphasis on Alzheimer's disease, we tend to become anxious if memory lapses occur. When we try too hard to recall a name or event, the more difficult it can be to remember. Then at a more relaxed time the information may surface. This is one of those mysteries.

When God gave the mind its place and power, he was aware of the ways it would affect how we function in relationships and daily activities. He commanded us to love him with our total being so we would stay grounded. Romans 12:2 instructs us to be transformed by renewing our minds so we can prove what the will of God is for us. He makes that a possibility.  

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I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

~Ezekiel 36:26-27 Good News Bible

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Strength to Manage Demanding Situations

The innate will to survive is human beings’ most enduring strength. When pain reaches a particular intensity, most people, motivated by fear of dying, seek medical help. A healthy body is one source of our strength. However when facing insurmountable problems, David declared in Psalm 28:7 that God was his strength and shield.

Habakkuk, the Old Testament prophet, made this declaration: “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes me as sure footed as the deer and keeps me safe.” He could make this declaration because he trusted God always to be at work for his best good in every situation.

Strength comes from accepting the truth of your circumstances. As you realize that God is the source of your strength, alternatives for managing demanding situations become clear. Confidence that God gives strength to overcome each situation you face produces the will to love him completely with that strength. So be receptive to this truth.            

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The Lord gives strength to his people and blesses them with peace.

~Psalm 29:11 Good News Bible

 

Your people did not conquer the land with their swords; they did not win it by their own power; it was by your power and your strength, by the assurance of your presence, which showed that you love them. You are my king and my God; you give victory to your people.  

~Psalm 44:3-4 Good News Bible

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Renewed Strength for Difficult Times

Everyone seeks power including children, who will take control if allowed to do so. Power is not always defined by physical strength or aggression. There is power in silence, notably when the impulse to speak is overwhelming. To refrain from speaking sends a powerful message of self-control.

The spoken word encased in knowledge and wisdom is descriptive of healthy personal strength. Carefully chosen words designed to build up another person's self-esteem are powerful in the heat of conflict. The willpower required to engage at this level comes from the Holy Spirit, for he gives strength and courage to do so.

The Lord’s command that we love him with all our strength includes every fiber of our being. Even when trouble surrounds us and the strength to press onward fades, the Lord God will renew your strength. To love God with all your strength gives unparalleled power to press onward for new prerogatives, a new day, and a new beginning.  

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Don’t you yet understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary? He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak.

~Isaiah 40:28-29 The Living Bible 

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Strength to Transform Bad to Good

Strength is an attribute that’s admirable when fused with integrity and good judgement. Conversely, brutality inflicted on others to cause emotional and physical suffering is immoral. Brutality clashes with loving God with all your strength. This commandment embraces healthy mental, physical, and emotional strengths.

So strength has many components to call upon to equip us for overcoming desperate situations or inner weaknesses. Strength is infused with an urgency to display the highest quality of courage and grace. This is what happens when all the strength one possesses is transformed into action for the good of others and oneself.

What’s involved in loving God with all your strength? There must be a sense of gratitude expressed to God that demonstrates you’re indebted to him for giving you forgiveness and a clean slate. Realizing that God gave his most beloved treasure to redeem and save you should arouse such gratitude you can’t help but love him with all your strength. 

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The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts him. I was helped, my heart rejoiced, and I thank him with my song.

~Psalm 28:7 Common English Bible

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Convictions Determine How We Live

Conviction is the litmus test of a belief system, for it represents strength of character that is expressed in actions. Every Christian faces a challenge: If you want to convince others of the value of Christianity, then live it with conviction. This is what Jesus meant when he challenged us to love God with all our strength.

Strength incorporates every aspect of our being, including our  determination and convictions. Physical strength diminishes as the body grows weary, but strong convictions and determination can endure every ordeal. Convictions appraise character strengths that determine how we will live our lives.

Washington Irving noted that conviction and determination prompt a person to stand firm when facing trouble. Listen to the Apostle Paul: “God has appointed me an apostle and teacher to proclaim the good news and for this reason I suffer many things. But I know whom I have trusted and am convinced he will guard my commitment.” That is faith in Christ Jesus.  

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I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.

~Philippians 4:13 Good News Bible

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Convictions Must Include Tenacity

Personal strength isn’t evaluated by just the shape and size of body muscles, but by resilience, determination and conviction. Endurance is certainly dependent on body strength, which is an integral part of winning as an athlete. With determination, it's possible to push the body far beyond what seems humanly possible.

Determination and conviction motivate an athlete to compete against all odds, which reflects strength of character. Louis Pasteur, the French chemist, explains his determination to create safe, healthy food. "Let me tell you the secret that led to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity." Tenacity defines conviction and determination.

William Lloyd Garrison explains tenacity: "I am earnest. I will not equivocate; I will not make excuses; I will not retreat one inch." This is exactly what God wants when he commands us to love him with all our strength. To run the race and win the prize is worth any sacrifice because the prize is Jesus Christ.  

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…I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

~2 Timothy 1:12-13 New International Version  

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Determine to Win the Prize

Athletes come from all over the world to compete for gold medals in the Olympic Games. They come with determination and conviction to honor the games and their country. The pain and suffering caused by long, endless practice are put aside when it's time to stand on the podium to be honored as world class champions.

Comprehending what it means to love God with all your strength is comparable to what it takes to be an Olympic champion. To love God with all you are physically capable of being, coupled with strong convictions and determination, forms the standard to which Jesus holds us. Thus we avoid falling into mediocrity.

Hear the Apostle Paul’s words of encouragement: "Surely you know that many runners take part in a race but only one wins the prize. Run then in a way to win the prize.” Every athlete submits to strict discipline in order to win the prize. God instills in you the desire to love him with all your strength.                             

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...I’m singing my heart out to God – what a victory! ...God is my strength, God is my song, and, yes! God is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have and I’m telling the world! This is the God of my father – I’m spreading the news far and wide!

~Exodus 15:1-2 The Message

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Turning Back to God

Difficult and uncertain times call for confidence, not so much in our own strength and power but rather in God's desire to help. Confidence to grow and mature to manage challenging times can be a struggle if we fade from dependency on God and trust only in our socio-economic status and personal power to supply our needs.

This is a dangerous choice if it means facing every crisis in your own strength and power without God’s help. When confidence fades and hardships prevail, turn back to God. Isaiah 30:15 offers encouragement. "Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. Let quietness and confidence be your strength."

Believe these words for they will help you depend on the strength and power of God, who gives you strength and wisdom to believe and trust in him. He asks you to love him with all of your strength regardless of how small that may be. God will honor this and cause it to grow and mature.                         

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The Lord God is waiting to show how kind he is and to have pity on you. The Lord always does right; he blesses those who trust him.

~Isaiah 30:18 Contemporary English Version

 

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.  

~1 Peter 5:10 New International Version

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Meeting Challenges with Confidence

Unexpected challenges periodically slip into our comfort zone to dislodge a well-ordered status quo. Strength of character can be defined by how we accept and respond to these challenges. There are times when a challenge seems beyond our ability to manage, but God promises to give us strength to endure and accept his good purpose for us.

Psalm 46:1 gives us God’s word for challenging times. “God is our hope and strength: a very present help in times of trouble.” When we've done all that we can do, we then turn over to God what we’re facing that’s beyond our skills and knowledge and wait for his purpose to be revealed.

So what is required from us as we turn over to God what appears to be an impossible situation? Trust is definitely a prerequisite for releasing into God’s care our deepest concerns. He provides faith to endure what can’t be changed, and endurance builds character that God approves of. What wonderful gifts!  

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See, God has come to save me! I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord is my strength and song; he is my salvation.

~Isaiah 12:2 The Living Bible

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The Will to Be Strong

 How strong are you? If you were to answer, what would you say? Mohandas Gandhi gave these words of wisdom: "Strength does not come from physical capacity alone; it comes from an indomitable will." Strength refuses to give up when troubles come or failure appears certain.

Strength of character can be either learned or inherited, but it must be nurtured and given opportunity to gain experience, to grow and mature. Listen to Isaiah 40:29-31. "God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall, but those whose hope is in the Lord will renew their strength."

If your strength needs to be renewed, commit to loving God with all your being. Regardless of your strength now, invest what you possess into God’s care, where it will grow and mature. Your strength can be renewed by faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for you.”                      

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My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need.

~Psalm 73:26 Good News Bible 

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Love – God's Precious Gift

Loving God and others is a precious gift. To love God with your complete being calls for the ultimate in reaching out beyond yourself.  Listen to these words from 1 Corinthians 13: "Love does not seek its own good, but always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Loving others is imperative for your own well-being.

God's love satisfies the soul like nothing else can do, but it's your responsibility to surrender yourself to him. Loving God with your complete being keeps the soul from contamination, which would build a bridge to alienation and separation. God redeems the soul from the power of sin and death.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 describes what happens as you surrender your complete being to Christ. "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, your soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Because God is faithful, he will do it.                         

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You know that with all our heart and soul that not one single promise which the Lord your God has given you has ever failed to come true. Every single word has come true.

~Joshua 23:14 God’s Word Translation

 

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

~Psalm 62:1 New International Version

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Listen to the Voice of Your Soul

 What about your soul? It’s been proposed that “the well-being of the soul can only be obtained after the body is secured.” This infers that the soul cannot be at peace when the body and mind are in a constant hurry or burdened down by guilt and unresolved conflict.

Our conscience is the voice of the soul so when your conscience tells you to take action that pleases God, you give it strength and authority as you follow through. The Psalmist asked in Psalm 42:11, "Why are you cast down, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?" These words indicate the soul can be out-of-step with our momentary experiences.

God requires that we love him with all our heart, soul, strength, and intellect. Commit to doing this right now. That commitment may seem impossible at this particular time in your life, but God will give you determination and the will to move in that direction by trusting in his help and guidance. His desire is for your soul to be vibrant, healthy, and thriving.    

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Only carefully obey the command and instruction that Moses the Lord’s servant gave you: to love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, keep his commands, remain faithful to him, and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.

~Joshua 22:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible

 

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

~Psalm 19:7 New Living Translation

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