“Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
II Corinthians 10:15
Stewardship Works
The principle of stewardship can be applied to many areas of life: as God provides, we steward. God calls for faithful stewardship in our health and two of the ways we do that is through diet and exercise. However, our efforts to improve our health often overlook mental wellness.
Good Defense
What does it look like to steward our mind? The mind must be on defense because Satan is constantly at war to occupy it. His attacks can be obvious like the draw of pornography or the amusement of a crude comedian. He may also be subtle, such as planting a root of discontentment while on social media.
When it comes to a good defense, we must heed the wisdom of II Corinthians 10:15 and “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Perhaps this will come easier if we reduce our exposure to social media, TV, bad company, or anything else that leads our mind astray.
Good Offense
Farmers and lawn guys who want to kill weeds will often utilize a method of crowding out the weeds by allowing the grass to grow thicker and taller. By increasing the density of the good grass, the weeds are depleted of their ability to take over.
We can think of our mind in a similar way. Sin’s effect on the mind may never be erased completely, but the mind can be renewed with Godly truth. A good offensive strategy is to fill our mind with truth and other attributes mentioned in Philippians 4:8. A spiritual goal in this area would be to build a reserve of memorized scriptures that instruct your heart in all of life’s circumstances.
Area Most Neglected
The final area of mental stewardship is to address our lack of mental exercise. Studies have shown that as we age, we experience cognitive decline. Don’t think it’s true? Listen to a few callers on Drivetime Sports and you will be fully convinced.
Your mind is a gift from God that should be nurtured and expanded. Proverbs 3:13 says “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.” Reading a real book stimulates and exercises your mind in ways that are inaccessible in our tech-driven environment. It’s likely that you included the habit of routine reading in your life plan, so have you followed through?
Conclusion
Consider the state of your mental health today.
Do you have a good defense to ward off Satan’s attempt to pollute your mind?
Is your mind filled with the scripture to fight back against his attacks?
Are you nurturing your mind as the gift from God that it truly is?
Caleb Crawley
MD5 Facilitator