THE MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." - Proverbs 23:7

In the 1970's, the United Negro College Fund ran public service announcements on numerous television stations.  The closing line of each public service announcement was the motto of the organization:  "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

Certainly, the mind is a terrible thing to waste.  When the mind is wasted, the life is wasted.  The mind is vitally important.  That is why the enemy and the world aggressively attack the mind.  Most Christians tend to be rather oblivious to the war on the mind and ultimately pay a price. 

Christians are involved in spiritual warfare.  The mind is the battleground where many of the battles are fought.  The enemy seeks to turn the mind into a playground.  God seeks to turn the mind into holy ground.

According to our text, your thinking affects the life you live.  You are often the product of your thoughts.  In fact, let's consider several areas of thought that are destructive to our lives.

1.  DECEIT

We can allow our minds to believe a lie.  It is easy to be deceived.  The devil is a liar.  He's always been a liar and will always be a liar.  We tend to be deceived when we listen to the world's sinful propaganda instead of listening to the Word of God.

Many foolish choices can be traced back to deception.  The more we allow our minds to be exposed to the lies of the wicked one, the more likely we are to be deceived.  Be careful what you allow in your mind.  Be very strict about what you allow your mind to meditate on.  If a situation angers you, it is easy for this anger to get out of control by simply dwelling on the situation. 

I know of professing Christians who defend their sinful actions.  They have allowed ungodly counsel and the wicked influences of the world to blind them from the truth of God's Word.  It is important to believe the truth and reject all lies.

The more you expose your mind to lies, the more likely you are to believe the lies and ultimately live a life of deceit.

2.  DISCOURAGEMENT

It is easy for us to dwell on discouraging situations.  The longer we dwell on negative matters, the deeper we sink into discouragement.  Discouragement drains the life out of a person.  Discouragement keeps a person from being productive and fruitful. 

Obviously, we do not need to deny the truth.  There are many negative issues that we must face.  We need to be honest about these matters.  However, the problems we face do not need to destroy us.  We need to properly understand these matters by viewing them through the lens of God's Word. If we simply think on the negative side all the time, we can easily descend into depression.

The more you think about discouraging matters, the more discouraged you'll be.

3.  DOUBT

Doubt is a serious matter.  Doubt is the opposite of faith.  Doubt questions God and His Word. 

The gap between knowledge and experience is often wide.  More often than not, this gap was created by doubt.  We fail to obey God because of doubt.  Whether we like it or not, doubt comes from questioning the integrity of God.

Here are some of the different aspects of doubt.  Often unhealthy fears exist because we question the sovereignty and love of God.  Anxiety thrives because we doubt the power of God.  Often loneliness is felt because we forget about the presence of God.  Worry consumes us because we fail to trust God for future provisions. 

The more we entertain doubtful thoughts, the more fruitless and empty our lives become. 

4.  DISGRACE

Let's face it.  The thought-life of most Americans is disgraceful.  Our entire society is image-based.  Why do fast-food restaurants advertise on billboards?  They know that image of a hamburger will cause drivers to think about food, creating a desire for a hamburger.  We know that more a person thinks about a subject, the more consumed he gets by that subject.  That is why sports produce such fanatics. 

The same is true for sensuality.  Whether it is a young woman who dresses seductively at work or an actress immodestly dressed on a TV show, the image is there for men to see.  The reason that porn is such a problem is that our society has promoted sex to be the ultimate god to pursue. The more a man thinks on sexual images, the deeper into depravity he goes.

Sensuality is promoted on every level in our land.  Even the most spiritual men must admit that it is hard to have a G-rated mind in this X-rated world.  

Jesus said, "...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."  The longer a man looks at a woman and thinks about her appearance and physique, the deeper in sin he goes.  Often men act upon these thoughts, either through adultery, rape or perversion.  Scary, isn't it?

The old children's song is true:  "Be careful little eyes what you see."  We need to guard our minds and thoughts.  The writer of the book of Proverbs warns us: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."  This is a great word for all of us men.

What I have written is very convicting and challenging, but it is necessary for us to take responsibility for our thoughts.  Areas of deceit, discouragement, doubt and disgrace need to be addressed.  It is impossible to live a holy life if your mind is an unholy mess.

Lord willing, next week we'll look at ways to get our minds clean before God.  It is vital that we win the war of the mind, because as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he."  

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.