It is beneficial to study Bible with various versions of the Bible, particularly when delving into the study of a specific passage or verse. For example, examining Proverbs 4:23 in the New American Standard Bible (NASB), we find the following interpretation:
“Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.”
Upon reading the same verse in the English Standard Version (ESV), it reads:
“Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.”
Speaking for myself, I find it challenging to grasp the message, even after reading the verse in both versions. What exactly does the term “heart” signify? Is it referring to the blood-pumping organ? I don’t believe so. So, what is its intended meaning?
Hear how the New Century Version (NCV) presents this identical verse:
“Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.”
Did you see that?
When it mentions “heart,” it is referring to our thought lives. Essentially, it conveys that our way of thinking determines our way of living. For instance, if you aim to address an issue in your life—let’s say, overcoming a habit like watching inappropriate content—your default approach might be, “I will fast, pray, and beseech the Lord to remove the desire.” However, this strategy often proves ineffective. The outcome can be disheartening because the root of the problem, as indicated by the word of God, lies not in those actions but in your thought life. This is where the effort needs to be directed to uproot the destructive habit. This process is aptly termed “mortifying sin” (Colossians 3:5).
By the way, we’re continuing the discussion on mentoring a young Christian man from an early age for a life filled with shalom referring to Proverbs 1 to 9. We hope you remain engaged with the preceding posts. So, we pick up directly from where we concluded last time.
In our previous discussion, we highlighted that, unfortunately, some young men incorrectly perceive Christianity as limited to singing praise songs in so-called churches and participating in lively activities.
What’s unfortunate about this situation? You see, some young individuals are misled, and our aim is to mentor one young man at a time, guiding them on how to discern and comprehend the true meaning of worship and their journey with Christ. To achieve this, what steps do we need to take?
We need to focus on his mind and thought life. Why? His misconceptions about Christianity and worship stem from his thought life. The initial question we must address is, “What is occupying the young man’s mind?”
Indeed, the majority of individuals define the soul as the realm where a person’s mind, emotions, and will reside. Whatever captures his mind, his will aligns with it, and his body puts it into practice. When his emotions are captivated, his will concurs with his emotions and directs the body to follow suit.
Can you guess the second adversary of a young man, with the first being his own sinful flesh? You’re correct – it’s the devil. The devil strategically targets the young man’s soul, seeking to stimulate and captivate his emotions while concurrently silencing his mind through cunning schemes. Once the young man’s mind is subdued, it becomes effortless to lead him wherever the devil desires, as the young man’s rational thinking is absent for questioning and reasoning. With the young man’s mind silenced, there’s no one to pose inquiries or demand explanations. When it becomes possible to make the young man live without utilizing his mind, one can instruct him to eat grass, and he complies like an animal. If you haven’t witnessed this on YouTube, you’re missing out.
False teachers and self-proclaimed prophets manipulate individuals in a similar manner. They target the emotions of their audience, urging them to quiet their minds, and then proceed to pose whatever questions they desire. The audience, consequently, is not in a sound mental state but rather in a state of hallucination due to the manipulation of their minds. The Word of God articulates this phenomenon in the following manner:
“But these people [false teachers] speak against things they do not understand. They are like animals that act without thinking, animals born to be caught and killed. And, like animals, these false teachers will be destroyed . . . Those false teachers are like springs without water and clouds blown by a storm. A place in the blackest darkness has been kept for them. They brag with words that mean nothing. By their evil desires they lead people into the trap of sin—people who are just beginning to escape from others who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are not free. They are slaves of things that will be destroyed. For people are slaves of anything that controls them.” 2 Peter 2:12, 17-19 NCV
Impressive! Is it not!
“People are slaves of anything that controls them.” When they find themselves enslaved, they offer promises of liberation to their audience—freedom from illness, poverty, and toil. The word of God likens their state of existence to that of animals. Animals lack a mind and live according to their instincts. Similarly, a young man without his mind lives a life akin to animals, not as an honorable human being created in the image and likeness of his Creator.
The psalter says,
“People who have wealth but lack understanding
are like the beasts that perish.” Psalm 49:20 KJV
He is not a beast, but he lives like one because his understanding, his rational mind, has been hijacked.
Certain individuals argue, “Well, the mind typically follows calculation, and you cannot walk by faith using calculation.” Hmm! At first glance, this appears to align with biblical principles, as it is written, “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV).
So, what does it mean to walk in faith? Is it blindly navigating through the unknown, hoping for a favorable outcome in the end? That could be considered a mere wish or, as some refer to it, relying on Karma. Walking in faith, however, involves having a specific focus—the word of God. Faith entails walking in accordance with the word of God, where the very word illuminates the path (Psalm 119:105). Therefore, it’s not a journey in the dark; faith is not blind, as there is light on its path.
However, some individuals express, “I cannot worship God unless I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.” Once more, this statement seems to align with biblical principles, but is it truly so?
How can we discern the presence of the Holy Spirit? Is it indicated by excessively loud music and artificial smoke emanating from a stage? Is it manifested through a speaker on the stage speaking in a booming voice, pacing and running around, occasionally descending from the stage to traverse the pews? Or, perhaps is it embodied in a highly skilled singer who supposedly draws the Holy Spirit into the congregation with their gifted voice? Or, should we conduct research, preparing a questionnaire to inquire about attendees’ feelings during the program designed to attract the Holy Spirit, assessing if we executed our plans successfully or not?
This is utterly outrageous eko!
Christians are guided not by their feelings, emotions, experiences, or practices but by the word of God. According to the scriptures, we are the temple of the Lord, with our Lord dwelling within us. When we gather together, the life and blessings God has ordained for our collective worship will descend upon us like rain (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5, Psalm 133). Why do we hold this belief? Because the word of God declares it to be so.
When our feelings assert, “God is not within you,” we proclaim the Gospel to our soul, emphasizing, “Listen and believe solely in the word of God, disregarding what you see and feel.” In my understanding, this aligns with what the Bible conveys when it emphasizes walking by faith and not by sight.
Not only does the devil target the soul of a young man, but so does God, not to stifle and disregard his intellect, but to cultivate his mind, enabling it to function at its utmost capacity so that the purpose of God may be fulfilled in the believer’s life. What is that purpose?
Listen,
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 ESV
You might inquire, “What is ‘the good thing’ for those who love God?” Is it acquiring a large house, an expensive car, or amassing millions of dollars?
The answer to this question will be revealed in the following verse:
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 ESV
The objective and purpose of God are to conform believers to the image of Christ, working all things together for the good of the believers. This is one of the reasons the Holy Spirit indwells believers. The mind plays a significant and central role in achieving this goal. Listen to the following passage:
“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:9-10 ESV
The renewal of our new self in Christ, “being renewed in knowledge,” implies that the process commences and concludes in the mind. This involves initiating and completing a transformation that establishes convictions and shapes the thought life of the believer. Consequently, the watching world perceives the Gospel message being authentically (but still not perfectly) lived out by individuals for the glory and praise of God.
Therefore, in nurturing a young boy or guiding a young man in the wisdom of the word of God to lead a fulfilled and shalom life, directing attention to the young man’s mind and thought life is the most effective approach to accomplish this goal. . . Contd. ///