◄ A Single Mind ►

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
James 4:8

Central Thought

Paul the apostle to the gentiles had singleness of mind – he had a single mindset. In spite of his many problems and great difficulties, Paul’s mind was set on Christ. Search through any of his letters and discover how often he refers to the Lord. In his thought and in his conversation his heart and mind was set on the Lord. The Lord Jesus was the central thought on Paul’s mind.

Double Mined

Is your mind set on Christ, or are you a double-minded man – an unstable man? A divided heart and a divided mind is one that has self placed at the centre. A single mind is one that places the Lord Jesus in His rightful place.

Hosea and James

Hosea points the finger of accusation at Israel, their heart is divided, he warns, while James reminds us that: a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, and the result is distress, disease, disturbance of heart and mind and soul. But a single mind and an undivided heart makes for a sound mind and pure heart, and James tells you what to do to achieve this: draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners – purify your hearts, ye double-minded. James 4:8

The Apostle Paul

And Paul tells us how to achieve this:- set your thoughts and your mind and your heart on the Lord Jesus.. rejoice in the Lord and keep on rejoicing in Him.. let your gentleness be known to all men.. look to Jesus, knowing that the return of the Lord is at hand.. don’t worry about anything, and just cast all concerns on Him.. pray without ceasing and pray about everything and verbalise your heart to Him. Give thanks in all things knowing that all things work together for good. And Paul says that if you do this… the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Wise Instructions

Have you noticed something here –  every instruction starts with a thought, and every thought allows you a choice… FIRST: Set your thoughts and your mind and your heart on the Lord Jesus. If you choose to set your mind on Christ, you will experience inner peace. If you chose not to, you’ve chosen not to guard your heart and distress will follow. SECONDLY: Let your gentleness be known to all men. Gentleness is just one of the ‘Fruit of the Spirit’, gained by submission to the Spirit. Quenching the work of the Spirit renders the opposite effect – distress, and disease. THIRDLY: Look to Christ, knowing that the return of the Lord is at hand. A single-minded man looks to the Lord in all things at all times... in total trust. The double-minded man can’t trust Him completely and tries to assist the Lord.. and the result is confusion, fear, and all the negative things that follow in its wake.

Divided Heart

Indeed, it’s impossible for a divided heart to undertake any of Paul’s instructions, and the instability of an unsound mind is the disastrous result. And it all starts with the thoughts you think and the choices you make. Think on Christ and have peace.. or be double-minded and be disturbed. FOURTHLY: Don’t worry about anything, and just cast all concern on Him. Those that wait and hope and trust the Lord in all things are renewed in alll-ways. Those that won’t wait and hope and trust the Lord – try to sort out their own problems – and the result is insecurity, fretfulness, depression, panic, and sleeplessness.

Single Heart

I could go on…. but you get the picture? The peace of God and the provision of God comes to the one with a single mind – a thought life that trusts in the Lord… no matter what life tries to throw at it.. but distress, disease, and disturbance of heart and mind comes to the divided heart.

Matter of Choice

All Christians have access to the peace of God, but only those that choose to apply the truths of scripture receive His peace. This is not because God withholds His peace. The peace of God is freely available to every believer in the Lord Jesus. The choice is – do I trust the Word of God enough to step out in faith... OR do I not trust Him enough – and choose to do things my way. The Peace of God is only available to the believer that has an undivided heart.. the one that fixes his heart and his thoughts on Christ, bringing every thought into captivity – to the obedience of Christ. 2Cor.10:5