Keeping ourselves in a healthy state of mind is essential to Christian living. The Holy Spirit tells us in 1 Corinthians that we are to “take heed unto ourselves” (1 Corinthians 10:12) and 2 Timothy 1:7 states that God’s spirit that has been given to us is of a “sound mind” or “discipline”. Having a sound mind includes how we feel, our consciences, and our heart motivations. One of the most important parts of keeping ourselves in a state of mind that could be termed “well” or “sound” is being honest within ourselves. Many times, the thoughts that bother us tend to go unresolved due to neglect or avoidance. To have a strong Christian life and to be empowered for Christian ministry, let’s take a look at this verse from Paul’s letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 1:5 NAS, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
The goal of the apostles’ instruction was strong minds and spiritual wholeness. Look at the key features of this admonition to Timothy. The focus is the heart, the conscience and faith. All three of these aspects deal with the mind. The heart needs to be pure according to the true instruction, and purity of heart is the goal of teaching. One way to focus on this facet of 1 Timothy 1:5 is the question alluded to previously, “Are we being honest about our state of mind?” We may be doing great in just about every way, but when we think about that one person or that one situation, we may need to revisit that with the forgiveness of God and the name of Jesus. If we notice that every so often we are seemingly traveling through time back to a situation (recent or in the distant past) we probably need to apply the blood of Jesus to it and to ourselves. When we remember or intentionally recall a person or a situation, do we find ourselves “back in it” and starting to relive that encounter all together? If we find ourselves in this situation, lets take some time to talk it through with God. Let us keep our hearts and lives pure, and walk in relationship with those who also call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22).