How important is the Mind?
Romans 12 teaches us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.
Transformation takes place as our minds are renewed!
It has been said, “If the Evil One can win the battle for the mind, he wins the soul.”
We must protect the mind. We must defend and build up the mind.
How do we do that? There are many ways, but I will highlight two.
Reading: One of the primary ways of building up and defending the mind is through mental exercise. I happen to be a big believer in reading as the major tool for this aspect of mental health.
I have raised both of my children to be readers.
“Readers are leaders and leaders are readers” says, Howard Hendricks.
Encourage reading in your children, in your friends, in yourself. Reading is good. Reading good stuff is better!
Certainly we should saturate our minds with the Scriptures. Reading large chunks for long periods is a lost discipline. We have replaced it with “devotional” reading; a verse here, a verse there; a chapter here and a chapter there. But there are certain things from the Bible we cannot understand in short bites. We need to read whole books, at times, in one setting!
I am not opposed to devotional reading. I use the “Streams in the Dessert” every day and it has helped change my life. But it is NOT a substitute for reading the Scriptures themselves.
This also involves memorization. “Thy word I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against You…” the Psalmist says. Separate verses, chapters, whole books. I know people who have memorized large portions of the Scriptures and anyone who does so is greatly benefited by it.
But there are other books to read as well: Packer, Tozer, Havner, Spurgeon, Piper, Lewis, just to name a few. Also, reading classic literature can change your mind for the better. I have been bettered by reading Dickens, Dostoevsky, and Hugo, for example.
Next time, being like God by believing what God believes.
(Only two more installments to go. Hang in there!)
