Gracious God, Loving God, we gather this morning as a community of your people, to offer ourselves afresh to you, to confirm our minds more nearly to the mind of Christ, and to receive the renewing gift of your Living Spirit. We do so lovingly and eagerly in the name of Jesus, the Christ!   Amen.

 

 

 

 

Good morning, everyone. I’m so glad you are here today. If you are a first-time visitor with us, we’re in a series we started just last week. It is focused on the God-given universal principle of balance. 

 

A lot of people are seeking balance in their lives, not only in this church, but everywhere. We’re going to be taking a look at our mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social balance over the next few weeks. 

 

As you know, just as in our society as a whole, when things and when we get out of balance, problems pile up. Bad things happen to good people. Anxiety, frustration, and fatigue set in, and that’s clearly not what the Creator intends for us or for others. Indeed, at the core of creation, one can look and find the God-given, universal principle of balance.

 

Today we are going to look at our minds.  What’s on your mind? More specifically, how can you and I stay mentally fit? 

 

First Peter: 1 says, “Prepare your minds.” 

Prepare your minds. Prepare them for what? Peter says, “Prepare them for action and be self-controlled.” 

 

It literally means get yourself ready for a fight. Prepare yourself for a battle. Folks, are you aware there is a battle going on? It’s not just for your vote, although you would wonder. It’s not just for your dollar. It’s much deeper and much bigger than that. There is a battle going on that’s quite subtle but very real. It is a battle for your heart, for your mind, and for your soul. The question today is are you prepared? Are you mentally in shape? Are you mentally fit for that engagement, that struggle, that clash? What is on your mind? What’s actually on your mind?

 

Now, they tell me your mind can store a hundred-trillion facts. They also say most of us think about 10,000 thoughts a day, which adds up to about three-and-a-half-million thoughts a year. As you all know, that means we use about ten percent of our brains, ever. 

 

Your mind is a beautiful thing. It’s particularly a beautiful thing when it’s healthy. But more than that, I want you to hear that your mind is a special gift. You have a mind that is a gift from God. You have a mind that is a gift that sets you apart from all of God’s other creatures. Like that great commercial says, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Exactly.

 

So, let’s jump in today. Let’s take a look at how to stay mentally fit. Let’s look at how to make the most of that incredible gift God has given you, which is the gift of your mind.

 

Number 1: Guard the access to your mind. Be choosy; be discriminating; filter; screen. Don’t allow just anything into your mind. 

 

A lot of folks have what we call a “freeway mind.” It’s just that.   Everything’s coming in. Everything’s going out. There’s no thought about whether it’s good for you, or whether it’s not. It’s just a freeway. It’s wide open. 

 

There’s a book entitled Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. We learn, in that book from advertisers, that people compete for your attention. You know what? Advertisers are really good at that. In fact, I have one in my family. Let me tell you; they spend a lot of money and a lot of research, and they know exactly what they’re doing. 

 

But it’s more than just advertising that has a battle for your mind. Everybody wants your attention. Everybody wants to get inside your mind. They want to sit at your control panel, because they want a piece of you. Did you know that? That means there’s a lot of garbage out there that wants to get into your mind. This is very important. As the old computer industry says, “Garbage in; garbage out.” What you put into your mind – what you allow access to your mind – is, in fact, what’s going to come out in your life. Guard the access to your mind.

 

Essentially there are four kinds of material you get to choose from. I do, too. 

 

Number 1: The first one we’re going to call “poison.” Folks, there’s a lot of bad, a lot of toxic, a lot of poisonous, even evil stuff that wants to mess with your mind and mine. There is thinking that promotes hate, that promotes fear, that promotes violence and abuse. There is thinking that promotes racism, and promiscuity, and prejudices. There is thinking that promotes blasphemy, and anarchy, and war – anything that tears down, destroys. It’s pure garbage, and it poisons. It sickens people’s minds. 

 

Romans 16:19 says, “I want you wise concerning what is good, but I want you to be innocent concerning evil.” 

 

I’d suggest you might just want to put that little verse right on your television. They tell me the television is on seven hours and seven minutes a day, twenty-four/seven, in the average American home. Oh, my gosh! That’s about a thousand hours of TV a year, folks. That means, if you live to be 65 years old, you will have amassed nine-and-a-half solid years of television viewing. You know, too, that it starts very, very early. Doesn’t it?  With that kind of access, parents, schools, teachers, churches, no longer teach values. The truth is television teaches values. Nine-and-a-half years of teaching values!   There’s way, way too much garbage in the midst of that. 

 

Look. Just as an illustration, if you went to Sunday School every single Sunday… I’m not talking about two out of four Sundays.   If you went every single Sunday from day one of your life until you turn 65 years of age, that comes to just four-and-a-half months of Christian education in Sunday School. Now, just do the math. Four-and-a-half months versus nine-and-a-half years. Poison, toxic garbage, and it’s killing us.

 

Number 2: The second kind of material that wants to fill your mind is what we’re going to call “stuffing.” Stuffing is just that. It’s stuff. It’s neither bad nor good. It’s not particularly harmful. It’s not particularly wrong. It’s just there. It’s filler. It’s stuffing.

 

First Corinthians 10 says, “All things are lawful, but not all things are edifying.”

 

You see it build up. This is not just about the food you put in your tummy. It’s also the stuff you put in your brain. Unfortunately, there are a lot of books, and films, and magazines, and newspapers, and TV shows, and plays, and paintings, and CDs that are, quite frankly, just stuffing. They’re not harmful particularly. They’re just there. You’d be wise to limit the access you give those things to your precious gift of a mind.

 

Poison, Stuffing….

 

Number 3: We’re going to call this “brain food.” Those are the things that inspire you. Those are the things that lift you up. Those are the things that move you and motivate you. Those are the things that teach you and train you. They make you a better person. They build you up. They don’t tear you down. They enable you to achieve and to make a more positive contribution to the world in which you live. They equip you with useful and marketable skills. That’s brain food. 

 

William Golding, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983, and author of the famous The Lord of the Flies, said, “I am astonished at the ease with which uninformed persons come to a settled, passionate opinion when they have no grounds for judgment.” 

 

Look at the stuff we feed our brains. We need to be giving it good food in order to make good decisions.

 

Paul says in Philippians 4, “Things that are true, things that are just, things that are honest, think on these kinds of things.” 

 

Think on the things that are true. Winston Churchill said, “People occasionally stumble over truth, and most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” 

 

Feed your brain good stuff.

 

Number 4: The Scriptures, the Bible. Christians need to read something in your Bible every single day, seven days a week. Our Muslim brothers and sisters, the peaceful ones, pray formally not once, not three times, but five times a day. What do we do? 

 

We ask people to read something from the Scripture, just something, once a day. It’s not too much. Is it? The reason we do that is because it’s one of the key places we get to encounter the Spirit of the Living God.

 

 Psalm 119 says, “Your word, Lord, is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” 

 

Through the Bible, we have learned the Spirit of the Living God speaks to us, guides us, leads us, keeps us on the right track. We have to read it! We have to meditate on it, debate it, discuss it, study it, memorize it. Fill your mind with it. Why? Because what you fill your mind with is what’s going to come out in your living. 

 

Now, you get to decide, of course. You get to make the call. Anybody here can say, “You know; I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to turn that off. I’m not going to do that anymore. I want something different. I want something else.” 

 

Do you want to be mentally fit, folks? 

 

Number 1: You need to guard the access to your mind, because there are forces that are really good, today, on how to get into it.

 

Number 2: Never stop learning. Folks, everyone in this room knows there’s no way you can live in today’s world and ever complete your education. That degree you have, or the one you’re working on, that license you’ve received, that diploma, that certification you’ve earned, they are just the beginning. 

 

Proverbs 19 says, “Persons who love wisdom love their own souls.”  

 

Folks, if you’re continually growing, and learning, and staying mentally fit, you are doing the very best thing you can do for yourself in today’s world. The fact is, many people just stop. We all know this to be true. They just stop learning. 

 

Bertrand Russell, the philosopher and mathematician said, “Many people would rather die than think, and, in fact, they do.”

 

When was the last time you learned a new skill? When was the last time you grasped a new truth? When was the last time you embraced a new idea? It’s sad when people stop thinking. They become vegetative. They start to grow duller and duller. 

 

I spend some time every once in a while in assisted-living facilities, and in health-care centers, and, indeed, in nursing homes. To date, I can witness to you that I have only seen one person, in nearly 40 years, with a computer and a modem in his room. That’s ridiculous. May the Lord hasten the day when nursing homes are wireless. It is the window to the rest of civilization. Folks, you know your body. Sometimes you need to be in assisted living. We’re all going to probably be there some day. But our minds…. We need a window to the outside world. 

 

“People who love wisdom love their souls.” 

 

Never, ever, stop learning.

 

Well, what does that have to do with being a Christian? Quite frankly, the word “disciple” says it all. You know what the word “disciple” means. Don’t you? It means a learner. That’s how it translates. A disciple is a learner. 

 

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.” 

 

If you’re not learning, folks, by definition, you’re not a disciple. Never stop learning. So, if you’re going to stay sharp mentally, we need at least three attitudes. There are more, but I’m going to name three today. 

 

Number 1: You need an attitude of openness. 

 

Proverbs 18 says, “Intelligent people are always open to new ideas, in fact, they look for them.” 

 

Who can you learn from? Can you learn from somebody who’s younger than you are? Can you learn from somebody who’s older than you are? Can you learn from somebody who has less education than you do? Can you learn from people who come from another nationality, another culture, a different religion? To learn from others, folks, does not mean you have to agree with them, but you cannot learn if you are not open.

 

Number 2: You need an attitude of humility. 

 

Proverbs 11 says, “Pride comes and then disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” 

 

Peter Agre, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2003, had some project, something to do with how water enters and is utilized in the cells of our bodies. He said at the ceremony where he received that degree, “I didn’t do this work. The young people in my laboratory did it. I just made the coffee and sharpened the pencils.” 

 

That’s humility, folks. He could have come, as this great mind, and said, “I know it all. I have it. I’m way ahead.” 

 

But there’s an attitude that says, “You know; I don’t know it all. There are a lot of folks who have collaborated to make this happen, and I still have a lot to learn.” 

 

That’s the kind of humility we’re talking about. 

 

Lots of folks I know are staying away from small groups. They’re staying away from Sunday School. They’re staying away from adult Bible studies. The reason they’re doing it is because they don’t want other people to know how little they know about their own faith. That’s called “pride,” and it’s a stumbling block to learning. If you don’t know… If you don’t have a clue… If you don’t have an idea who Nebuchadnezzar was… Don’t sweat it. Just own it and learn. With humility comes wisdom.

 

Number 3: You need enthusiasm. 

 

Colossians 3 says, “Whatever you do, do it with all of your heart as unto the Lord and not as unto others.” 

 

Put your mind into it. Be enthusiastic about it. 

 

“The difficult takes time, and the impossible takes just a little bit longer.” That’s Fridtjof Nansen, the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who personally, they tell me, organized the return of more than 400,000 prisoners of war to their countries after World War I. He helped save millions of Russians from starvation. “The difficult takes time, and the impossible just takes a little bit longer.” That’s enthusiasm. 

 

Well, how about some practical suggestions on how to keep mentally fit?   

 

One: Schedule some time to think each week. We schedule everything. We have hair appointments, and doctor appointments. We make appointments for our cars to be repaired, and to work out at the gym. How about spending some time sitting down by yourself, alone, quietly, and just think? You don’t read. You don’t write. You don’t schedule. You don’t work. You don’t listen to music. Just think. 

 

First Thessalonians 4 says, “Make it your ambition to be quiet.”

 

Get by yourself to think. I know there are people here who say, “You know; I’m too busy to think. I don’t have time to sit down and think.”

 

Folks, if you’re a leader, if you have any responsibilities where you work, if you have responsibilities in your home, if you have responsibilities in your community, you can’t afford not to think. Ten percent of your time ought to be spent thinking, not working. Thinking. Whew! 

 

How am I going to do what I do better? Think. Someone said 5% of our world really thinks, 20% think they think, 75% would rather die than think. Schedule some time to think and watch what happens.

 

Two: Develop a personal reading plan.

 

Paul was a reader. He was a reader because he was privileged. He was privileged because he had an education. Not many people did in his day. When he was in prison in Rome, he wrote a letter to his friend, Timothy. He said in that letter, “Please don’t forget the books. Don’t forget the scrolls. Don’t forget the paper. Don’t forget the parchment. I want to read. I need them. I want to study.” 

 

When was the last time you read a book? I try to keep no more than three of them going at one time. Right now, I’m enjoying Three Cups of Tea. Have you heard of that? It’s by Greg Mortenson, and it’s a wonderful book. I’m also reading The Impossible Takes Longer. I just quoted that by David Pratt.   There’s also Henri Nouwen, a great spiritual writer, With Open Hands. And oh, for laughs, how many of you know Patrick McManus? Thank you, God.   They’re wonderful. Patrick tells stories about fishing, and outdoor life, and adventures. Just a little humor keeps things going. 

 

Fill your mind with good reading. Join Oprah’s Book Club. We need to get America reading again, folks. Or, if you don’t want to do that, get into Charlotte Carrington’s Good Book Club right here at Broadway. Develop a reading plan. 

 

Three: Spend some time with wise people. 

 

Proverbs 13 says,“Those who walk with the wise will be wise.” 

 

For anyone here who has been connected with a mentor or has been a mentor, you know about the power of association. You cannot fly with eagles if you’re going to run with the turkeys. 

 

Broadway is looking at two new programs right now. One is called, “Love, INC.” The other one is called “Circles.” Both of them are in this community, and both are designed to effectively mentor motivated people who want to improve their lives. It doesn’t take just anybody. Spend some times with wise people.

 

Four: Learn to ask questions. 

 

Proverbs 20 says, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep, but a person of understanding draws them out.” 

 

You can learn a lot from other folks if you’re willing to sit down with people and just ask some questions. Have you noticed how it is? You meet somebody new, and what do they do? They just talk about themselves. “This is what I do, and this is what I..….” 

 

You know; one of the great ways to meet new people is one of my favorite questions, “What’s the newest, the hottest, the most challenging thing going on in your area of work or interest right now?” 

 

Just run that by somebody and watch what happens. We’re going to move past what the weather is, and what restaurants I’ve been to lately, and where I’m going this summer. Ask questions. Learn to ask questions.

 

Five: Write your ideas down. 

 

Hebrews 2 says, “We must pay careful attention to what we hear so we do not drift away.” 

 

The problem with drifting is we just don’t remember everything. Some of us are not remembering more than others. 

 

They tell me the U.S. Air Force did a study. They discovered that most people forget 90 to 95 percent of what they hear within 72 hours. Now, that’s pretty depressing for preachers. OK? By Wednesday, you have forgotten all but five percent of what I’ve said here. That’s why I give you an outline; so you can write it down. The reason is very simple; because, if you can’t remember it, folks, you can’t work on it.

 

Six: Take advantage of transition times. We spend so much time waiting. Have you noticed that? We wait for appointments. We go to the doctor’s office, and we wait. We wait on our families to get ready. We wait for a taco. We wait for everything. Carry a book with you. Snatch up those little spare minutes and make use of them. 

 

I’ll never forget one of my dear friends, John Woodall, from back in my seminary days. He read the entire 26 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica in three years, just waiting for people. Isn’t that phenomenal? It took him three years, but he read them all, just waiting for others. 

 

Some of you drive a lot. Some of you travel. Just think of all the time that could be spent listening to messages, to studies, to courses you can take, to books you can listen to on CDs. Take advantage of those transition times, because those minutes add up into hours, and those hours into days. 

 

Folks, what I want you to hear is when you and I invite the Spirit of the Living Christ into our lives, it’s not just into our hearts, and not just into our souls. When we open the door of our lives to the Spirit of the Living Christ, we are also opening our minds to the One who gives us these wonderful gifts, who will give us wonderful thoughts, who will teach us amazing truths. 

 

In the Church, folks, when we hear something we think comes from God, we call that inspiration. Isn’t that interesting? It’s called inspiration. 

 

Second Timothy said it well: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 

 

Folks, you have a right to a sound mind. Give the Spirit of the Living Christ your thought-life. Begin to develop this fabulous gift that is your mind in ways that the Spirit wants. Because if you are, and if you will, it’s going to create some balance for you in your personal life that’s going to take you a long, long way. 

 

And we all say together… “Amen.”  

 

 

God of Heart and Mind, thank you for giving us the ability to reason. Help us to choose to sharpen and cultivate our minds, that we might be your idea people, steeped in your wisdom! A people who sensibly bring your kingdom to earth in our every thought, utterance, and deed. Amen.