What’s On Your Mind?
There is no doubt we all have been asked the question above. Perhaps as we tentatively entered the boss’s office, he/she asked this. Of course, what-ever was on your mind was what compelled you to enter the office. Maybe we should consider the source of what’s on our minds. Are we not aware of where our actions originate? That which is foremost on our minds is that which controls our lives. This becomes evident from Prov. 23:7a and the firm admonition regarding participation with one with an “evil eye”. The Spirit had Solomon pen, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:”
Long before this, at the end of Genesis chapter four, we find that Seth’s son was Enos, and in Gen. 4:26b we see that some men “began to call on the name of the Lord”. This means that the Word of the Lord (spoken Word) was on their minds. Those who had God’s Word on their minds were those who obeyed it. This affected their actions and how they treated their fellow man, just as it will today. The fifth chapter recounts the creation of man and the birth of Adam’s third son, Seth. Eight generations after Seth are also listed in this chapter. Each of those men listed lived very long lives and as a result the earth had become quite populated.
Sadly, during this time, man gravitated away from God. In fact, it had gotten so bad that only one man (Noah) and his family were still following God and His Commandments. The remainder of those still on the earth had obviously forgotten God. In Gen. 6:5 we are told, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
What was on their minds? We aren’t told what the “wickedness of man” was at that time, but anything contrary to the Will of God was wickedness in the days of Noah, and the same thing applies today. Consider the fallout from not keeping God and His Commandments in their minds. All who disobeyed God died in the flood and their souls were lost forever.
Gen. 6:22 shows conclusively what was on Noah’s mind after God told him what to do and why. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. Then, in chapter 9, we see the entrance of wickedness in the mind of Noah in becoming drunken, and the sin of Ham against his father and against God. Genesis chapter 11 provides a list of the descendants of Shem, one of the other sons of Noah. In the ninth generation, Abram was born. His name was later changed to Abraham. We know Abraham’s mind was on God because whatever God told him to do, he did it. He was tested in many ways. In Gen 22:11-13 we see that God told him to take his son, the child of promise, and sacrifice him. Abraham proceeded to do as God Commanded, but the angel of the Lord stopped him and said, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” The angel then provided a suitable substitute sacrifice for Abraham to offer, a ram caught in a thicket.
Long after the flood, the earth became populated again and God separated a people, the Jews (descendants of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob), through which He would bring His Son, Jesus the Christ into the world. In Deut. 32:46 after Moses had been given the Law and had spoken “All” the Words of God to “all” Israel, he said to them, Set your hearts (minds) unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. The Bible heart is the mind. They were to set their minds on the Word of God and keep His Laws all their lives. If they would do this, God would bless them per Gen. 30:16. However, we see in Gen. 30:17-18, if they refused to keep God and His Word in their minds and did not keep His Commandments they would perish.
Fortunately, some of Israel loved God, were obedient, and through them God’s plan was brought to fruition. Time and space will not allow the mention of all of them, but we cannot help but think of the psalmist David, king of Israel. His desire was to faithfully serve God, do His Will and keep His Commandments. He knew to do so, he would need to keep his mind on God’s Word. In Psa. 19:14 he penned: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Then, in Psa. 119:97, we clearly see where his mind was focused. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Now, let’s fast forward to today. God’s plan for the salvation of souls has come to fruition. His Son willingly shed His blood and died on Calvary’s cross to purchase the church. Before that, Jesus in John 14:26 promised to send the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), to bring the apostles into all truth. We now have that truth in God’s Written Word. All of God’s N.T. Commandments are provided for us to read, study, meditate on and obey if we love Him and want to spend eternity with Him. We are told not less that five times in that N.T. Word to be of “one mind”. That one mind according to Phil. 1:27 is “striving together for the faith of the gospel.”.
What is on your mind? Will you not Hear His N.T. Word, Believe in Christ as God’s Son, Repent of past sins, Confess Christ as God’s Son before men, and Be Baptized into Christ, then remain faithful until death? To fill your mind with the things of the world to the rejection of God and His Word is to set yourself up for eternal condemnation. What’s on your mind? Think about it before it’s too late.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
