No matter how chaotic life gets, continue prioritizing Scripture to maintain the protective barriers in your mind and heart.
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16
Choose a comfortable space where you can experience at least ten minutes of silence. As you settle into your space, take several deep, slow breaths. Give your mind and heart permission to slow down and focus on what God wants to tell you in the next few moments.
Picture yourself standing in front of an enormous dam, admiring the sheer mass of the structure and the handiwork of those who built it. Think about the millions of gallons of water being held by the wall. As you walk next to it, running your fingers along the wall, you feel a slight crack with water seeping through. The more you explore, the more cracks you find.
Suddenly, you hear part of the wall crumbling and giving way. Now, water is spewing through the cracks with greater force. You know these holes need to be repaired as soon as possible, but you don’t have the right tools or supplies. Using your fingers, you plug as many holes as possible, but they are too far and wide. Without help, millions of gallons of water will burst through the dam and rush into the valley below. Turning to yell for help, you see a man walking towards you wearing a hard hat and pulling a wagon full of supplies. Breathing a sigh of relief, you know he is here to save the day. He is calm, cool, and collected, and his presence assures you that the dam will be repaired and everything will be okay.
He hands you a hard hat and invites you to help him, promising that he will guide you every step of the way. You nod your head in agreement and the two of you get to work. He is gentle and patient while teaching you how to repair and maintain the stability of the dam. He doesn’t get frustrated if you don’t understand; he simply continues to guide and direct you until the repairs are complete and the water is no longer seeping through. You are safe and so is the valley below.
Now, imagine your mind is like the dam described above. If it is not properly maintained and protected, cracks can form and water can seep through. The water represents the lies culture tells us, the hurtful words people have spoken, the flaws or mistakes we let define us, or the anxious thoughts that control us. If the walls of our minds are not properly maintained, these thought patterns can creep in and totally change what we believe about God and ourselves. Before we know it, our minds are flooded with negativity and lies. We’re trying to plug all of the holes on our own, but it’s not working.
The man who came to repair the dam represents the Holy Spirit. He has the right tools and methods to protect our minds. His tools are the Word of God. He uses Scripture to repair the cracks and strengthen the walls of our minds. Without the Bible as our foundation, we are susceptible to believing the lies and experiencing the damage that follows.
The Holy Spirit can teach us to fortify our minds, as in the words of Deuteronomy 33:25, “Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be.” The truth of God’s Word, the hope of His promises, and the faithfulness of His presence will be our strength all the days of our lives. At the first sign of weakness, turn to Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to help you “take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Take a step in training your mind in godliness today. Allow the Holy Spirit to inspect your mind and use Scripture to repair the cracks where the lies of this world are rushing in. Read the following verses slowly. Choose one to dwell on this week. Memorize it and keep it at the forefront of your mind.
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Psalm 62:5-7
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
No matter how chaotic life gets, continue prioritizing Scripture to maintain the protective barriers in your mind and heart. Why? Because 1 Timothy 4:8-10 says: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.”
