December 10 – Disciplines of the Mind (Colossians 3:1-2)

“A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.”(Proverbs 14:15)

IN WORD:
A surface reading of this proverb will tell us to think through our actions, to avoid rash behavior, and not to be gullible in the directions we pursue. And we need such reminders; the call for spiritual discernment is frequent in Scripture. But there’s more to this proverb than what we find on the surface. If we really think it through, we’ll realize that it has everything to do with the way we discipline our minds to see God, ourselves, and our world. The call for discernment is rarely an ad hoc proposition in which we seek God’s guidance situation by situation. God wants an overhaul in the way we see things. He wants us to have thoughtful lives that will naturally produce prudent steps.
Simple people — those who have little spiritual depth and do not care much about living for God and eternity — will act on whims. They will go with the flow of any current that seems appealing, and they end up tossed around on the waves of passing styles, questionable doctrine, selfish interests, and empty ideologies. They are easily deceived. As the proverb says, they believe anything.
The serious Christian will find his or her thought life to be a critical battlefront, where faith, hope, love, and all their rivals are cultivated. Those of us who want to live for God and eternity can’t just change our steps — we’ll have to change our thinking. Unless we want a constant battle between obedience and our heart’s inclinations, we will seek a fundamental change within. We will train our minds; our thought patterns will be matters of intense concern. We don’t just want to act differently; we want to be different.

IN DEED:
If you try to walk in discipleship with Jesus as a matter of behavior rather than inner transformation, you will find it an arduous, impossible walk. Discipleship begins deep inside, and it is not a quick magic trick. It requires training. Are you able to correct your faulty thinking when God points it out? Do you consciously discipline your mind to think truth? That’s where faithfulness begins.

“Untilled ground, however rich, will bring forth thistles and thorns; so also the mind of man.” -Teresa of Avila-