Encouraging Students to Love God with their Mind
We are to love God with everything. God’s Word teaches us in Luke 10:27 that, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…”
I think one of the biggest questions for many of us comes with how we love God with our mind.
For years, students have asked me how to love God with their mind. Below are some things I’ve learned that I hope will help you minister to your students.
1. Loving God with our mind first begins with how we think.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” -2 Corinthians 10:5
Our thoughts can be held hostage and become a playground for the enemy. If we don’t feverishly fight the battle for Lordship of our minds the enemy will take control. The Christian worldview has never had a time of rest. It is always under attack. “Taking every thought captive” must have a purpose. If there is no purpose we will be guilty of overthinking everything. Graciously, Paul gives us the purpose, and that is to “obey Christ.” The mental filter in Loving God with our mind must begin with obedience. When we allow sin to reign in our thinking we are giving the enemy the right to hold us captive.
2. Loving God with our mind requires an eternal focus.
“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2
This life is filled with challenges and hardships. They will never leave us. We must work to set our attention on Christ. A result of the fall of man is the daily grind. We can choose to camp out under the stars of the earthly toil in our thinking or look beyond them to the one who made the stars. When we focus our affections on the things above instead of the earthly things we renew hope, experience grace, and are comforted by the One who holds all things together. If you have trusted Christ for your salvation one day you will be perfected as you stand in his presence. This earthly pain will fade and suffering will cease. Fight to think about your Savior and spending eternity with him.
3. Loving God with our minds means having an attitude to please God.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” - Romans 8: 5-8;
The term “to set” in the above text has to do with your attitude, the full faculty of thought, and planning. It is an attitude and focused adjustment in how we think. Setting our minds on the flesh leads down a terrible path because we have decided to please the flesh instead of God. We have planned to move away from the Lord and focus our attention away from Him. However, setting our minds on the Spirit means that our focus, attitude, and plans are pointing in a direction to please God.
4. Loving God with our minds needs a daily renewal.
“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.” - Romans 12:2
How we think is just as important as what we think. Transformation in our lives happens when our minds are renewed. Gospel centered renewal occurs when we reject what the world says is ok and embrace what God says is ok.
If you just think for a minute, how do you change your angry thoughts? You focus on the Prince of Peace.
How do you change your lustful thoughts? You focus on Intimacy with God.
How do you change your unkind thoughts? You focus on the One who has given you Grace.
Without a doubt, we are challenged daily with how and what we think and we need to renew that thinking daily. When we do, our lives are then transformed!
5. Loving God with our minds needs to be paired with prayer
“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. 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 4:6-8
Anxiety is a very real epidemic in our culture. The majority of us deal with a vast array of factors that push us towards anxious feelings. How do we combat anxiety as it battles for first place in our minds? We Pray! Guarding my mind from the enemy’s anxiety attack is shielded with prayer.
Talking to God soothes the soul, quiets the voice of doubt, and restrains the battle plans of the enemy. Have you ever thought why so many Christians struggle with their “prayer life?” Prayer is our direct line to the King! If the enemy can interrupt that line of communication, he will! I must replace my anxiety with things that God will use to help us.
This is why the text above tells us to “think about these things.” God is so good that he has even given us what to think about! He begins with Truth, then honorable things, just things, pure things, lovely things, commendable and excellent things, and things that are worthy of praise! When we pair right thinking with prayer we build minds that overcome worry, anxiety, and stress!
So, may I ask? Are you loving God with your mind? And, how are your equipping your students to love God with their mind?
By: Pastor James Johnson, Easley, SC