Devotion #5: My Mind Is Made Up
“My mind is made up!” I heard those words from my grandma so many times growing up. She set the standard for how to end negotiations with us. Grandma was a petite, very kind-hearted, loving person who had an authoritative stance when saying, “No!” She did not pause to think about what the request or plea was. She was wise and had already discerned what was going to be asked, and then she very confidently took her stance. We always thought she had superpowers because she somehow knew what we were up to before we asked. I am certain her skills were sharpened by the challenges over time with her own kids, but we all knew as grandchildren that she would not be swayed. Her example is tried and true when dealing with children. As Christians, we are to prepare our minds with the things of God so that we can develop the same ability to deal with the things of this world.
Our minds are complex within each one of us. It is the base of our reasoning, thinking, decision-making, and how we view life. It is often referred to as the battleground, where we war with our emotions and decision-making. It is our minds that the world most wants to influence and control, and it is our minds that the Word tells us the Lord wants to renew. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Our daily walk is a battle. We are exposed to all the negatives of day-to-day living and everything the world throws at us. The Word tells us to continually renew our minds so that we can stand firm when tested. To do that, we have to be in the Word and think about the things of the Lord. Philippians 4:8 tells us, “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.”
I think about my grandma often, but especially when I am dealing with my own personal battles. Her example of standing firm without wavering is how we, as Christians, should approach every day. Jen Wilkin made a great observation, “We will not wake up ten years from now and find we have passively taken on the character of God.” We need to prepare ourselves by being in the Word, which prepares us to see through what is being thrown at us and to discern what is good and what is harmful. We should be able to say, “My mind is made up,” with what is good, acceptable, and perfect. That can be our response when the fiery darts are thrown our way. It is training our minds to filter what is of the world and what is of God.