Friday, March 27, 2015

"Mentality.............."

If our heart will indeed be that which God sifts for worth in the finality of our Earthly journey, then how does our mind, another member of a tetrad assigned us by Christ to be fully surrendered in loving Him, fit into this picture? I’m inclined to “think” that particular part of our identity is what got Adam in trouble back there in the beginning and that with which we all yet struggle the most in this stagger down the path. All four elements that Jesus set before us no doubt hold some responsibility as to who and what we are in our everyday existence, each contributing to the product as it exists; but how many of us examine them with any frequency other than, from time to time, catching ourselves in front of a mirror and briefly questioning who it really is that’s staring back at us? A friend commented on my previous musings, recalling an old admonition for us to “guard our hearts for they are the well spring of life”; and then adding, out of his own depths, as follows: “Solomon knew that our hearts long for good, but our mind tries to blur the line. This allows us to try to reason or use logic to justify thoughts and actions. The person with virtue is the one who can listen to the Spirit guard their heart from their mind.” The key word here is “Spirit”, for the human counterpart of that term was omitted from that above mentioned tetrad and I’m inclined to believe there is reason for its absence. Our spirit works in a relationship with the foursome assigned to the divine commandment and it is desperately in need of His guidance if we are to know any success at all in achieving the goal set before us. “Mind” merely refers to that continual activity within the cerebral cavity, not to the brain, alone, separate in its ability to maintain control of all our body functions, but to that which occurs when our spirit sits down at the computer and “reasons” by means of all the information stored therein. Is it infallible? Not to any real degree of “truth and nothing but the whole truth”. Much of our “intelligence” is distorted, gained from our own perspective as circumstances along the way were “recorded” at the time; and, therefore, the need for us to totally surrender all of that operation unto His wisdom, His tug on our anchor-line. That doesn’t mean loss of free will, but it does suggest that we might well benefit from seeking His voice in the next step….

4 comments:

  1. Like the post Jim, This reminds me of a conversation we had last school year. Surrendering our heart and mind is directly related to our ability to let the Spirit in and inform our will and intellect to make decisions that are good for us. I think this is the definition of virtue. For example, a person with diabetes may will a piece of chocolate. This chocolate will make them sick if they eat this "forbidden fruit". Its the job of the intellect to inform the will that chocolate could kill them.

    This may not be the best example, but it does show the need to sit and listen to the spirit.

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    1. Like what you say here. I struggled with this one a bit, thinking myself taking something simple into too deep waters. Not all like to discuss things in that realm, afraid of argument, hesitant when they, themselves, do not have "concrete" answers. If two are willing to admit any subject concerning Him always contains more than what we can completely conquer and contain in a box, there is possibility to learn, to grow, and to know ourselves better in the next step. Especially if our heart and ears remain open to the Holy Ghost......

      (noted a typo in the original and corrected it)

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    2. Interesting discussion, folks. I'm following but just barely because I'm still a little too foggy in the head from the sinus infection I'm battling this week. Seriously, I tried to warm something up in the microwave as I was thinking about phoning someone so I started "dial-ing" the phone number on the microwave. "Something" woke me up just enough to not push start and walk away. Who's driving this vehicle anyway?

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    3. I hate sinus infections! You make me laugh, though, with your microwave phone-call. Just the other day Beth and I returned home from somewhere and I caught myself standing in front of the house using the car beeper in an attempt to unlock the entrance door. Duh.... Get well, Mich.

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