Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
(1Pe 1:13 NKJV)
(1Pe 1:13 NKJV)
I was listening to a radio talk show the other night on my way home from work. The host was asking for people who disagreed with his view on a subject to call in. His one request was that they try to present a "cogent" argument. After several callers, the host gave up in exasperation. Not one of them could present a reasoned argument. Everything they said was based in a feeling.
The talk show host's first mistake was to use a word like "cogent." We are so illiterate these days very few people know what that word means. Cogent means "very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)."
My Father was fond of saying, "When God saved me He didn't knock my brains out."
We were made to think. Charles Finney said it well. In the introduction to his systematic theology he said,
"My brother, sister, neighbor, friend, read, study, think, and read again. You were made to think. It will do you good to think; to develop your powers by study. God designed that religion should require thought, intense thought, and should thoroughly develop our powers of thought. The Bible itself is written in a style so condensed as to require much intense study. I do not pretend to so explain theology as to dispense with the labor of thinking. I have no ability and no wish to do so." ( Finney's Systematic Theology, The Complete & Newly Expanded 1878 Edition, Bethany House Publishers, c. 1994, preface by the author, p. 2)
Many Americans don't seem to be able to string two sentences together without about a dozen "likes" and "uhs" and "you knows." Reading is becoming a lost art for many. Contemplation, musing, and serious thinking are loosing out to "amusement" (lack of musing), and having a good time.
Our capacities of reason have taken a serious hit over the last fifty years or so.
I personally believe that this downward spiral is by design. The educational system of this country, which used to be based on Biblical principles, has been carefully crafted to soften the minds of our children so that they can be manipulated by those who have a Godless agenda.
For those of us who have a Biblical world view it is plain to see that Satan is ultimately responsible for this scheme.
The latest example of this horrible trend is the woman who just recently was outed by her parents for being Caucasian when she has represented herself as being Black. Just a few days ago I heard her trying to explain how she wasn't lying but why she could understand why people might think she was. She said that people simply didn't understand "her reality" meaning that somehow her reality could be different from everyone else's and still be a reality. Seriously? Unfortunately, yes.
Mindless garbage. Sadly she is a professor teaching our youth to be just as mindless as she is.
Peter encourages us to "gird up the loins of our minds." If you have stayed with me this far I hope you will continue to hang in there while I try to shed some light on this phrase. Here is a definition of the Greek word rendered in English as "gird up" from Vine's Dictionary:
.
anazonnumi (G328), "to gird up" .... is used metaphorically of the loins of the mind, 1Pe_1:13; cf. Luk_12:35 (see No. 4). The figure is taken from the circumstances of the Israelites as they ate the Passover in readiness for their journey, Exodus 12:11; the Christian is to have his mental powers alert in expectation of Christ's coming. The verb is in the middle voice, indicating the special interest the believer is to take in so doing.
I could go on but let me give you "GT," Gillock's Translation. "Roll up your sleeves and get ready to do some serious thinking." I heartily agree with Brother Finney. We were made to think. I second my Father's attitude. God gave us minds for a purpose.
My dear friends, Paul encourages us to not be conformed to this world, especially it's way of thinking and it's world views. He speaks of being transformed "by the renewing of our minds."
In today's world we simply cannot afford to become sloppy in our thinking. If you think you have, then I would encourage you to awaken from your slumber and begin applying some serious discipline to the business of thinking.
In order to do so you will need a foundation of truth from which to start. That would be the Word of God. He is truth and His word is truth. You had best become acquainted with both Him and His Word because they will be of great value as you try to grapple with the mindless crowds around you.
For those who think you have some pretty good thinking ability, I would encourage you to give yourself a check-up to make sure.
We have become so visually oriented these days that few of us seem to read anymore. I suspect that some who see the length of this blog will close it because they don't want to have to focus their time and powers of thinking long enough to finish reading. In their minds it will simply be too much work. If you have reached this point in the article you can give yourself a pat on the back because you are not one of those individuals.
While the rest of the world may be losing their collective minds, take a pledge with me to not join them. They are eventually going to need some folks who know how to think and when they do we will be there to offer assistance.
I personally believe that this downward spiral is by design. The educational system of this country, which used to be based on Biblical principles, has been carefully crafted to soften the minds of our children so that they can be manipulated by those who have a Godless agenda.
For those of us who have a Biblical world view it is plain to see that Satan is ultimately responsible for this scheme.
The latest example of this horrible trend is the woman who just recently was outed by her parents for being Caucasian when she has represented herself as being Black. Just a few days ago I heard her trying to explain how she wasn't lying but why she could understand why people might think she was. She said that people simply didn't understand "her reality" meaning that somehow her reality could be different from everyone else's and still be a reality. Seriously? Unfortunately, yes.
Mindless garbage. Sadly she is a professor teaching our youth to be just as mindless as she is.
Peter encourages us to "gird up the loins of our minds." If you have stayed with me this far I hope you will continue to hang in there while I try to shed some light on this phrase. Here is a definition of the Greek word rendered in English as "gird up" from Vine's Dictionary:
.
anazonnumi (G328), "to gird up" .... is used metaphorically of the loins of the mind, 1Pe_1:13; cf. Luk_12:35 (see No. 4). The figure is taken from the circumstances of the Israelites as they ate the Passover in readiness for their journey, Exodus 12:11; the Christian is to have his mental powers alert in expectation of Christ's coming. The verb is in the middle voice, indicating the special interest the believer is to take in so doing.
I could go on but let me give you "GT," Gillock's Translation. "Roll up your sleeves and get ready to do some serious thinking." I heartily agree with Brother Finney. We were made to think. I second my Father's attitude. God gave us minds for a purpose.
My dear friends, Paul encourages us to not be conformed to this world, especially it's way of thinking and it's world views. He speaks of being transformed "by the renewing of our minds."
In today's world we simply cannot afford to become sloppy in our thinking. If you think you have, then I would encourage you to awaken from your slumber and begin applying some serious discipline to the business of thinking.
In order to do so you will need a foundation of truth from which to start. That would be the Word of God. He is truth and His word is truth. You had best become acquainted with both Him and His Word because they will be of great value as you try to grapple with the mindless crowds around you.
For those who think you have some pretty good thinking ability, I would encourage you to give yourself a check-up to make sure.
We have become so visually oriented these days that few of us seem to read anymore. I suspect that some who see the length of this blog will close it because they don't want to have to focus their time and powers of thinking long enough to finish reading. In their minds it will simply be too much work. If you have reached this point in the article you can give yourself a pat on the back because you are not one of those individuals.
While the rest of the world may be losing their collective minds, take a pledge with me to not join them. They are eventually going to need some folks who know how to think and when they do we will be there to offer assistance.
This is a cogent and timely post. There are not enough believers stressing the importance of renewing our minds, or learning to think deeply on any given subject. Most people today seem to be only able to think in 140 characters or less. Their minds digest nothing more than the "fast food" of the information age: tabloid news, headlines from the lamestream media. Many churches have fallen for this trend and now deliver "sermonettes" because many pastors don't want to overwhelm their flock. Some churches may even do expository preaching/teaching, and yet they don't teach theology, apologetics, church history...ie. things that are very important for the spiritual development of every Christian. As far as the American education system goes, I believe you've hit the nail on the head. There's a phenomenal book written by John Taylor Gatto (not a Christian to my knowledge) called "An Undergroun History of American Education." I highly recommend you give it a read if you get the chance. Due to a severe lack in my own education growing up, I'm trying to strengthen and develop a love for classic books...both for spiritual development (Finney, Spurgeon, Moody, etc.) as well as other classic works (Confessions of St. Augustine, Charles Dickens, Tolstoy, etc.) because I've finally realized the importance of strengthening my mind and challenging it in a way that is not done today. If we can't learn to think, read, write, speak and simply communicate well, then we are truly in trouble, especially in today's culture.
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