Master the Mind

Rough drafts are not my thing, they never have been. And yet I found myself writing several such rough draft introductions here in an attempt to wax eloquent, to impart some wisdom of the philosophical variety, to explain this blog endeavor. How might I best explain the motive behind and ultimate objective in preserving and sharing my thoughts with you, the curious and generous reader? Speaking plainly, I have learned, is often the best policy for effective communication, so I will speak thus now.

I think a lot about a lot of things. My thoughts tend to blow like a leaves in the wind. At times they are clear and coherent. At times they are foggy and confusing. At times they are uncertain and conflicted. Mid summer 2017 I began to engage in the somewhat therapeutic practice of keeping a journal. This exercise was to help me capture and examine my own thoughts, thoughts processing and articulating my understanding of many truths, and thoughts quite often revealing my chronic fear, weakness, and hypocrisy.

I do not presume to be extraordinarily wise or eloquent, rather I recognize that the human experience across billions of individuals is a common one: we wrestle with the same questions of identity and purpose. Even as a Christian, having the words of God and His very Spirit within me piercing through my distracted mind I still manage to wander from His kindness and forget His promises. This is why I write and share my thoughts with you: because I know that if I often find myself frustrated in my waywardness the odds are high that, at times you may as well.

My hopeful expectation is that you would be comforted, encouraged, and challenged to think deeply about truth and not take for granted the blessing of the mind God has given you. It is truly a gift to be stewarded and used for honorable and worthy pursuits. Knowing ourselves rightly and knowing God rightly are the key to living rightly and the mind is where we make these evaluations. Thus we each must master the mind, allowing it to be transformed by God’s truth, and use it to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

These are just my thoughts which may vary widely in quality and content, from post to post. Let that temper your expectations. Enjoy!