An Untamed Mind

Sometimes it feels like my brain is a tangled ball of snakes. My thoughts all wiggle and squiggle together. It is hard to know which thought to grab. Several years ago, I read an article (I don't remember where) that listed the symptoms of ADD. I remember telling Delia that I had 9 out of the 10 symptoms. I would describe my mental life in simple terms: distracted, unfocused, squirrel. Okay, that last one was a joke.

There is something beautiful about a mind that make a dozen different connections in a matter of milliseconds. There is a kind of poetic fluidity to thoughts that intersect along your brain's neuro-pathways. A thought is introduced, a connection made, and bang the wheels of your mind are whirling at the speed of light and in a matter of moments you have traversed the span of the universe of your mind.

The downside of making multiple connections in rapid succession is that it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. It is frustrating when a conversation causes your brain to take a turn, and another, and another, and so on, only to find yourself unable to remember what you were talking about in the first place. Sometimes I find myself on the far side of the universe of my mind, and I can't remember how I got there or how to get back.

I have given up on taming the beast. I'm not certain the human mind should be one tracked. It is helpful, at times, to be able to zero in on one thing--a project, a task, a conversation--but the mind seems designed to process multiple things at once (hearing, seeing, etc.). The mind seems geared to interact with and react to information. It might be detrimental to become overly focused.

While I don't think I can tame my mind, I am certain that I can train it. I have been training it for years. For example, I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even though the films are about three hours long (the extended versions are even longer . . . and better). However, watching 15 minutes of the news grates my nerves. I can't think of a time when I watched the news without thinking: "Why would anyone watch this?". My point is watching a three hour movie should be harder to do than watching a 30 minute news program, but it isn't in my mind.

One of the keys to training a mind is to connect what your doing to what you value. To put it another way: do what you love and love what you do. Staying focused during a conversation may be naturally difficult to you, but consider the person to whom you are talking. Are you showing them care and respect? Are you learning something new? How is going to move you closer to your goals? Will it reinforce your values?

Meditation is also important. I don't mean the empty-your-mind so often reference in our culture. I mean the biblical kind in which you fill your mind with things worthy of thinking about. While it certainly includes Scripture, Philippians 4:8 seems to widen the scope of our meditation.

The next time someone or something starts moving through the briar patch of your mind and flushes out a rabbit, observe it for a moment. If it is worthy of thought, chase it. It has been my experience that God will use a stray thought to draw us closer to him. However, I should warn you that the devil uses stray thoughts, too. How do we know the difference? Why not spend some time thinking through and praying over Philippians 4:8. It is a great place to start.

I have heard that there are some animals that can't be domesticated. I think the mind should be in the category. You can train a tiger or a lion to do tricks, but at the end of the day they are still not tamed. Train your mind so that it can perform at the crack of the whip (that is, when it is necessary), but don't worry that it isn't tame. It might just be wild by design.

Worth Remembering

The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,

But the one who rejects correction goes astray.

(Prov. 10:17)

A Reminder

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and courageous.

Wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Food for Thought

For the Lord is Righteous;

He loves righteous deeds.

The upright will see His face.

Psalm 11:7

A Precious Truth

May this truth saturate you heart and mind:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens

--Jesus the Son of God--

let us hold fast to the confession. 

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, 

but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. 

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, 

so that we may receive mercy and find grace 

to help us at the proper time 

(Heb. 4:14-16, HCSB).

How to Pray for Fellow Believers

For this reasons, since the day we heard about you, 

we have not stopped praying for you

 and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will

 through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord 

and may please him in every way: 

bearing fruit in every good work, 

growing in the knowledge of God, 

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that 

you may have great endurance, 

patience, and 

joyfully giving thanks to the Father, 

who has qualified you 

to share in the inheritance 

of the saints of light.

Colossians 1:9-12

Food for Thought: Revelation 21:3-4

Here is a something worthy of meditation:

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:

Look! God's dwelling is with humanity, 

and he will live with them.

They will be his people,

and God himself with be with them 

and be their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Death will no longer exist;

grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, 

because the previous things have passed away (Rev. 21:3-4, HCSB).

What a glorious day that will be, when death is swallowed up by life.  I long for the day when we enter into our Savior's rest.

Lessons from a Funeral Procession

Where I grew up people pulled over when they passed a funeral procession. There was an unwritten rule about respecting the dead and contemplating mortality. I fear things are changing.

As a pastor, I have been in several funeral processions. I'm usually between the police escort and the hearse, so I get to watch as people approach the procession. For some, as soon as they see the hearse, they move to the side of the road and patiently wait for procession to pass them. Others, begrudgingly follow the example of the those drivers, and pull to the side of the road. Some try to creep passed the procession unnoticed. Today, I witnessed a car keep driving as if everything was normal. Maybe they had an emergency. Maybe they were talking on their phone and didn't notice the police lights and the hearse with its flashing lights or the dozen cars crawling up the road with their lights on. But the sight saddened me.

It saddened me because it demonstrated a lack of respect for life (and death). It saddened me to imagine that we live in a world so busy we don't have time to pause a few moments and contemplate the deeper things of life.

Just because things change, doesn't mean respect has to die. We can keep a tradition of respect alive and well. I hope you will pull over the next time you see a funeral procession. Here are somethings you can do while you wait for the procession to finish passing:

1. Thank God that you are alive and well. Even if you are battling a serious illness, you are not in a box headed for your final resting place. God has given you the grace of one more day.

2. Resolve to make the most of the life you have been given. None of us knows when it will be our turn to die, so make the most of every opportunity.

3. Remember those you have lost and the ways in which they impacted your life. 

4. Contemplate your mortality and make certain you are prepared to stand before your maker.

5. Pray for the family and friends of the person in the back of the hearse.

The simple truth is that even the longest funeral procession will be passed you in a matter of moments. Life as you know will resume, but a new life is dawning for those in the funeral procession. It is a life with a hole in it. Your moments of discomfort on the side of the road serves as a silent reminder that their loved one truly mattered. Your display of empathy will also remind them that life in this different world is possible.

A Brief Meditation of God's Grace

Here is something worthy of meditation:

But when the goodness of God and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us--not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7).

I recently heard someone say, "Mercy is us not getting what we deserve." I don't know where that line originated, but I found it intriguing. Paul states pretty much the same thing here. We were saved, not by our works of righteousness, but "according to His mercy." In spite of all of our sin, God still had compassion on us.

This is all an act of God's grace. Every blessing that accompanies new life is ours in Christ Jesus. He has bound us to himself in love, and he will not let us go. In Christ, the goodness of God is manifest. His love has been demonstrated. Now, it must be embraced.

He has made us, who believe, new creations. We are justified before God. We are washed of our sin by the Holy Spirit. We are heirs with hope of eternal life. Grace has been shown to us in abundance, and that is something to think about.

I Can Call on You

Psalm 77 is a beautiful picture of a heart moved from despair to renewed faith through the power of meditation. Don Whitney defines meditation as "deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer."

The Psalmist paints a picture of utter desolation in the Psalm 77:1-9. He feels abandoned by God, distressed, and inconsolable. He is groaning under the burden of unanswered prayer; he is left without words.

Yet in verse 10, we see a transition take place. He appears to awaken from his myopic self-focus, and shift his gaze toward God. As he does, his spirits begin to rise. Hope returns as his faith is renewed. He offers us a threefold path to follow: remember, meditate, and consider. The terms are closely related, but help us to see the progression of thought. It begins with igniting the memory, then moves on to deep thought about the subject, and concludes with applying those thoughts in reasonable ways.

Asaph focuses his attention on three things: the holy nature of God, God's power, and God's role as Redeemer. Psalm 77:16-19, describes the world under the scrutiny of Asaph' God. God's awesome presence makes earth and sea quake in fear, yet he tenderly leads his people like a shepherd with his flock.

Psalm 77:19 offers us a gentle reminder, "Your path led through the sea, you way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen." In other words, God guides his people through difficult passages, even when they don't realize it. Asaph leaves us with a simple but profound truth, we can keep trusting in God's continued faithfulness.

The Fortunate One

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2).

What does it mean to be blessed? It can mean to be happy or fortunate or favored. I think Psalm 1:6 explains why this person is blessed. They are blessed because God watches over the righteous. He protects them.

The Psalmist sets out two types of people: the righteous and the wicked.  The righteous is described first in what he doesn't do, and then by what he does do. The righteous person doesn't get caught up in sinners way of life. He doesn't take life coaching from an evil person. Instead, he delights in the Word of God, and keeps it in his mind.

The wicked person lets sin take control of their life. Eventually, they will be blown away by the judgement of God. They have no share in the people of God. In the end, God will separate them from his people (see Matt. 13:24-30; 25:31-46).

If we want to enjoy a continuously fruitful life, then we must meditate on the Word of the Lord night and day. If we are steeped in the Word, then we can be confident that God's purpose will prosper in us. When we delight in the Lord, we will meditate on his word.

A Saturday Meditation

But he said to me, 

"My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect 

in weakness."

Therefore, I will boast 

all the more gladly 

of my weakness,

so that the power of Christ

may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

In Search of Inspiration

Have you every read a passage of Scripture, and wondered how it applies to your life?  Have you ever been struggling with some decision, but can't seem to find a passage in the Bible to offer you guidance? Have you been wrestling with a sin and can't seem to shake it?

There are times as I approach my daily Bible reading in desperate need.  I need to see the face of God.  I need to have my sins confronted.  I need vision and direction.  Yet, in spite of my deep need I come away from my reading feeling empty.

These times can make us feel as if the Bible doesn't really work.  Why bother reading it?  However, we need to realize what the real problem is.  The Bible says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).  Therefore, the problem cannot be Scripture, it must lie elsewhere.  

Often we approach Scripture in the the wrong way.  We treat the Bible as if it is any other book.  Sometimes we treat it like a Magic 8-ball.  We approach with unrealistic expectations.  Sometimes we approach Bible reading as just another task to be checked off our to-do lists.  When we make these mistakes, it's no mystery as to why we get little to nothing out of Scripture reading.

• Just another book: When we read the Bible like any other book, we disrespect the Bible. The Scriptures were written by holy men, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and are God's revelation of himself to us.  When we read the Scriptures, we meet God.  The Holy Bible reveals a holy God.  You can't just pull your Bible of the shelf like it's a self-help book or life-coaching manual. 

• A Magic 8-ball:  I have also heard this referred to as "lucky dipping." With this approach, one takes his Bible and opens it at random.  Without looking, he then points to a verse.  Once a finger lands on the page, the nearest verse is read and then applied to the individual's life.  This method leads to a lot of misinterpretation, because it neglects the rules for sound interpretation.  You can't just ask the Bible a question, shake it up, and expect God to "speak" to you. 

• Unrealistic expectations:  We often want quick fixes to our problems.  Sinful behavior that may have been a part of our lives for years, rarely go away because we read a verse of Scripture.  More often, it takes years of faithful obedience and hard work to overcome sinful tendencies.  We should expect quick fixes.  Our God is the Ancient of Days who revealed the Scriptures over a period of 1500 years.  He doesn't get in a hurry.  Maturing in Christ takes time and effort, there are no short cuts.

• Checking off our list:  When we approach Scripture as if it is just something to check off our list, we do ourselves a disservice, even as we disrespect it.  God desires that we meditate on the Scripture.  Contrary to modern concepts of meditation, that focus on emptying the mind, biblical meditation focuses on filling the mind with the Scripture.  Biblical meditation tries to understand all the implications and applications of a passage, in light of its context and purpose.  When you half-heartedly or absent-mindedly read the Scripture, it is not likely to have a lasting affect upon you.

When we approach the Scripture in the right manner, it will bring about transformation in us.  We must combine reverence and faith as we read.  We also need to give careful thought to what we are reading.  We are most benefited when we combine careful thought and heart searching, when we read the Bible.  May God bless you as you search his Word for help and hope.

What is your approach the reading Scripture?  What tips do you have to understanding and applying the Bible?

Giving Thought to the Word

"Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord" (Prov. 16:20).

The Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path (see Ps. 119: 105). Here we are urged to give serious thought to the Word of God, for through it we discover good. The good discovered can have many facets.

First, it can show us what God deems good, that is, the moral law which reflects God's holy character. Cultural opinion is in a continual flux, shifting from right to left and left to right. Cultures often define good based on public perception. Some cultures view female circumcision as right and good, others think such a practice is barbaric. One culture may elevate liars to the highest positions of authority, another may seek to banish liars from places of power. Studying the Word enables a person to rise above their culture and see what the Creator calls good and what he calls evil.

Second, giving attention to the Word can reveal good to us in the sense of blessing. The Word teaches us how to come into a right relationship with God (through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus), and how to walk in humble obedience. Those who obey the Lord walk in his favor. To be favored by God is to be blessed. Those who give thought to the Word, that is, study it in order to live in accordance to it, find the good of God's favor. I should further state that those who desire to study the Word in order to obey it are already evidencing God's favor in their lives.

Finally, the Word is God's revelation of himself to his creation. To give thought to it is to give thought to the Creator. A person who studies the Word in order to obey God is really learning about God. As one reads through the Bible the learn about God's holiness, his righteousness, his goodness, his mercy, and his love. They come to know him as he has revealed himself through the Word. They find good in the Scriptures, because through them God is speaking.

The Word of God is worthy of thought--careful, meditative, trusting thought, because God has spoken and continues to speak through that Word. The Word is living and active (Heb. 4:12). It searches the heart of the one searching it. The Word commands us to believe; it compels us to trust. So are we giving it the right amount of thought?

Preoccupied

Have you ever found yourself not wanting to think? Have you ever wished your brain could just stop the wheels of thought long enough for you to catch your emotional breath? I admit there are times I don't want to think. I have tried for the last several week not to think about how long it will be until Sophia comes home. As the days stretch into weeks and August crawled into November another day approaches. It is a day that stays at the back of my mind, lingering around like some inconsiderate guest who doesn't realize the party is over and it is time to go home. That day lingers there unwelcomed and, in reality, uninvited. It is the day of Ellie's death. This coming Monday will mark the 2nd anniversary of her going home. It is a day that I will never forget, no matter how hard I try. The irony is that it feels like I have to struggle to remember much of the days we had with her.

I am a man caught between straining forward and looking back. The hope of celebrating Sophia's homecoming does not eradicate the grief of Ellie's homegoing. Sometimes the grief is tangible like a blanket or a weight. It is not a burden I bear alone, but it is one I seldom talk about, yet never stop thinking about. I miss my daughters. I know that I will see them both again; Sophia in a few weeks and Ellie when I get to heaven, but that reality only makes the pain bearable. However, I continue to rely on the Lord; I know that he is with me and that he will sustain me.

But, I find myself trying to stop the thinking. I'll watch some tv or a movie. I'll read a book. I'll daydream from time to time. These things however do not help. They only prolong the inevitable. I am trying to find a better way--a way that doesn't seek to empty my mind, but fill it. I meditate on God's character and nature. I think about the Scriptures a lot. I desire to start memorizing Scripture again. As Christ's servant I want to be fruitful and effective. I want these experiences to help grow closer to the Lord. We can't bear fruit if we are always trying to escape. Fruitfulness comes from hard work and perseverance. We must, however, strike the right balance as Paul reminds us, ". . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work in his good pleasure" (Phil 2:12-13, ESV). As we abide in the Lord, he brings fruit to bear in our life (John 15). Sometimes the sweetest fruit comes from the darkest circumstances.

Again Paul states, "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" (Phil 4:8). When the burdens that wear you down tempt you to empty your mind, give them over to the Lord and rest in him. Begin filling your mind with his Word, and allow the knowledge of his presence to fill your heart. He cares for you, and he is with you.

Thinking of the Cross

I am thinking about the cross again. I am afraid we don't meditate on the cross enough. Even when we do, I fear that we might not be thinking correctly about it. I think that is one of the reasons a person can wear a cross as an ornament, but not live a Christ-centered life. Or when we think about the cross we often have the image of a crucifix in our mind.

However, a crucifix is a sanitary devise. They are crafted portraying Jesus wearing a loin cloth to preserve his dignity (or perhaps our modesty). We see his head crowned with thorns, his face drawn up is s sad pout, not quite capturing the agony of his death. There is little blood and less bruising. The crucifix focuses on the work of Christ, but seems to leave the work unfinished. The image keeps Jesus perpetually on the cross for sinners, even though Scripture declares his work finished.

The cross was anything but sanitary. There was no attempt to protect Jesus' dignity or modesty. Historians tell us that prisoners were often stripped naked and forced to walk through the streets; one final act of humiliation just before death. Scripture tells us that Jesus faced different trials after his arrest. He was stricken, spit on, beaten, mocked, and ridiculed. Pilate had him flogged. This process would have reduced his back to a mass of bloody ribbons; the flesh torn from his body. His face was probably so beaten that he could not be recognized (could this be what Isaiah 52:14 meant?).

Jesus said to the Father, "I have manifested you name to the people whom you gave me out of the world"(John 17:16). But those people had abandoned him. The Father said to Jesus, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22). Yet the crowds cried out, "He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him" (Matt. 27:43).

When we try to image the suffering of Christ our imagination will always fall short. We may be able to imagine the violent nature of the crucifixion and the graphic nature of the events (Mel Gibson"s movie, The Passion of the Christ, has made this easier to do). However, what we cannot imagine is the mental anguish that Jesus was under.

How can we comprehend Jesus, the all-knowing Creator, looking at the crucifixion? It is one thing to know a thing will hurt, like breaking a leg, but what if you could feel the pain--each and every ounce of it, before the break occurred. How can we imagine the the perfect fellowship enjoyed by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit from all eternity? How can we imagine the kind of impact the knowledge that that fellowship would be interrupted for a time would produce? How can we imagine what it would feel like to know in full God's holy anger toward sin, and to know that you were going to taste it all?

When we think about the cross, and I am convinced we must think of it often, we must do so with humility and awe. We must do so know that Christ has completed his perfect work and received in his flesh the full punishment for our sin. We must do so knowing that as often as we think of it we will be tempted to sanitize event, even as we are tempted to sanitize our own sin.

May the Lord help us to remember the cross rightly. I pray he etches it on our hearts and that he causes us to remember it often with reverence and gratitude. May he remind us often that it is because of the cross that we stand righteous before him. To him be glory and honor.