Our Minds Should Never Be On Break

Summer is the time where many families go on vacation. Whether it is visiting family or going to a theme park like Disneyland, we are ready for some rest and relaxation. Some people might even want to check their minds at the door because they don't want to think about a lot of things while on vacation.

It is not just vacations we want our minds to check but also when we come home from a long day at the office or while watching a movie. I must admit there have been times when I want to enjoy a movie and not think of the philosophical teachings a movie, no matter how innocent the movie, might be presenting to the audience.

For Christians, our minds should never be on break. Consider Peter's words in his first epistle, "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13). The King James Version has it worded like this, "gird up the loins of your mind." Think of this saying like rolling up your sleeves to be ready for a fight. Can you imagine what will happen if our minds will not prepared? We would be easily influenced by temptation. We would not be ready to make a defense for the hope we have as 1 Peter 3:15 tells us. We would miss our on teachable moments for our children as well what God is teaching us through circumstances.

The Apostle Paul told the Colossian church to "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2). Our minds should always be fixed on things that are not of this world as we live in this world as exiles. Our minds should never take a break. We should always be ready for an attack from the enemy or even when God is teaching us something.

When we set our minds on things above, it will remind us of the goodness of God and His faithfulness to us. Paul later on tells the Colossian church, "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). The things that are earthly first enter the mind. They will catch us off guard when we least expect it. That is why we should always have a our mind prepared for action and set our hope on the grace of God, which trains us "to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13).