S5P3 – Loving God with a whole mind

Mark 12:30

“and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul [life], and with all your mind [thought, understanding], and with all your strength.”

We all have heard the phrase the mind is a terrible thing to waste. I am not sure who is credited with coining it, but the sentiment goes back as far as the old testament. Moses directed the Israelites to write this series’ very commandment on their hearts and minds (Deut. 6:4-6). Scripture also tells us that the mind is where a man plans his way (Pro. 16:9), which explains the biblical instruction to be transformed by its continual renewing (Rom. 12:2). The mind is the seat of intellect, understanding and imagination.

Loving God with all one’s mind is a commitment to transitioning from man’s way of thinking to God’s way of thinking. When we love God with a whole mind, we understand the world as He understands it. We comprehend things not through the lens of our mind’s eye but through the Holy Spirit. If we believe that God’s understanding is infinitely greater than man’s, submitting our minds to Him is a no-brainer.

Understanding the truth about the world around us is critical to walking out life according to the will of God. The difficulty comes not only in the relinquishing of control but in the revelation that comes from seeing things are they truly are, as the unveiling of the world’s evils can be cause for discouragement. Father, give us not only the discipline to commit our minds to You, but also the courage to face our world’s realities, as You reveal them, with power and hope.