The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste



You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

There was an old commercial that used the phrase, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” The commercial was fighting drug abuse and it was and is still a very true statement. But a Christian mind can be even more of a waste if we allow the fears of this world to enter our minds on a regular basis.

God wants us to have peace, joy, and rest, trusting that He is doing what needs to be done for everyone, and yet many of us are in a constant state of anxiety. We allow our minds to constantly focus on finances, the future, work, children, health issues, the state of the world, and many other matters that we have very little control over, if any.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

A sound mind is sometimes translated as ‘self-control’, but it is so much more than that. Self-control is an act of our will with the help of the Holy Spirit, but a sound mind is firmly set on the things of God and when fear tries to creep in, returns immediately to God’s power and love.

Truly self-control is the only way to get to a sound mind and the only way to remain calm and to have God’s peace is to practice self-control and to turn our thoughts back to trusting Him every time they stray. A sound mind comes from doing this over and over in all situations no matter how frightful they may seem. A sound mind is strong and resilient and can handle anything.

One of the most common problems of the mind is when we try to predict the future. “If this happens, then that is sure to happen, we can’t allow this, I’m afraid of that,” we say to ourselves and to others. We seem to get great pleasure out of ‘futuring’ even when it causes us extreme fear. We know people, maybe even ourselves, who do this everyday.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

This fear comes because we want to, but can’t, control our situation. We are waging a war against evil and the only way we can influence the future is by making good choices and doing the right things according to God’s will. Then we must sit back and allow God to work and keep our minds from being tools of the devil, used to steal our joy and peace. ‘Futuring’ does no good, solves nothing, takes our minds away from God, causes harm to our bodies and relationships, and causes harm to our faith.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7)

We waste not only our minds, but our time and the energy that could be used for many more valuable pursuits. Worthless pursuits are part of the definition of sin, so when we allow our minds to be filled with fear and anxiety over what is out of our control, we are sinning against God.

We can resist with God’s help and we can keep our minds on Him by reading His word and praying, by spending time with other Christians and listening to Christian music or speakers. If we spend our time in worldly activities and among stressful and dramatic people, our minds will be conformed to the things of this world. That is not where we want our minds to be.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:2)

The transformation or change that takes place when we remove the evil of fear from our minds and renew our minds by keeping them on things above, is not only in our minds but also in our hearts. It shows in our actions and strengthens our relationships. Keeping our minds on the things of God makes every part of our lives better and more joyous.  We have peace. God does not want us to live in chaos, drama and fear.

Our minds can control us, even more than our hearts. God does not want our minds to be wasted on worthless ‘futuring’ and worry. He wants us to trust Him. Trust is a choice to be made and is more easily made when our minds are filled with the goodness and love of God.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

Prayer: Dear Lord, give me greater self-control over our minds. Take worry from us and replace it with peace. Help us to spend all our days, even when things are going well, focusing on your goodness and trusting that You have everything under control. Help us to be ready for when the devil attacks, to have sound minds stayed on You, remembering all the times we worried, and you took care of the situation. No more ‘futuring’ for us God, we trust you and we love you. Amen





My book Fresh Fruit Meditations on the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can be ordered from Amazon or Goodreads.com.  Also available at Chritian Bookstores or on Kindle.  Thank you. Jennifer Chamberlain


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