Verle Bell M.D.
[Originally published as Mindfulness: My Mind Full of His Mind]
The devil loves to grab a delicious worm and stick his hook into it to spoil it. That doesn’t mean that the worm is no good. In like manner, New Age people like to take God’s good ideas and twist them to the point that we faithful followers of Jesus are leery of grabbing and using them.
MINDFULNESS comes to mind. What does the Lord say about this?
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
What mind was that?
- Not hanging on to rights, but rather becoming a servant of all: doing what it takes to minister to needy, hurting, helpless people. (Philippians 2:6–8).
- A mind always stayed on God. Isaiah 26:3
- A remembering mind: remembering that God’s mercies are new every morning and his faithfulness is great, that God is my portion (my inheritance, my field of endeavor) (Lamentations 3:21–24). That there is only one God who will keep all his promises and his advice will stand. (Isaiah 46:9–10).
- Love the Lord thy God with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37).
My favorite pen is called “pen again” because the inventor came up with the idea at age 14 and couldn’t produce the product till his 20s, but was always talking about the idea. Another friend said, ‘” You’re not talking about that pen again, are you?” Oh, that I should be accused by my friends, “You’re not talking about that God again, are you?”
In all your ways, seek to know God more and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:6
- Let the events of life cause me to call to mind the words of Jesus. Just as he used Scripture to combat temptation, so should I, carrying around in my mind the practical truths, equipped for war (Mark 14:72).
- Think of things I have been given, things he enables me to do, people he has placed in my life, the cool person he has made me (Luke 12:29).
- Have a mind prepared and eager to be filled with more of God’s ideas. So many people want to know “How much of this do I have to put up with to get all the rewards I crave?” Isn’t this enough? (Acts 17:11). I want to be someone who continually hungers and thirsts for more of God so he can satisfy me! (Psalm 42:1).
- Have a humble mind: freely admitting my limitations and not clinging to rights while resting in and delighting in who I am in Jesus (Acts 20:19, Romans 12:16).
- Have others in my life who are aware of my mental focuses and help put me in mind of godly things (Romans 15:15).
- Have a passionate mind: willing to give, fervent for the welfare of saints, of a ready mind, a mind focused on ministry opportunities, a sound mind renewed by the Word.
- Be like-minded by hanging out with people whose minds are fixed on the Lord and his Word rather than on picky, divisive, do’s and don’ts (Philippians 4:2).
- Have a mind “girded up” by hoping to the end for the coming of Christ. “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). That joy was the hope of endless relationship with you and me (1 Peter 1:13).
I need to remember that God knows everything that comes into my mind and will help me gain a clean and clear mind as I confess my inner thoughts (Romans 12:2, Hebrews 8:10).
For as you think in your heart, so are you (Ezekiel 11:5, Proverbs 23:7)
I am to put off the old mind and put on the new and be renewed in the spirit of my mind (Ephesians 4:23). I need to keep in mind the things God has already shown me and not be always re-learning the same focus I learned before (Philippians 3:16). Let my pastor and other godly people put me in mind of the practical truth (Titus 3:1).
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
