2 Timothy 1: 7
- NASB: For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
- KJV: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Romans 12:2
- NASB: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
- KJV: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The longer I walk with God, the more I realize that
the mind of man (and nations) is stunted if devoid of the knowledge of the One
True God. A mind devoid of God is not sound; its core is missing.
It’s not functioning according to the purpose for which it was created,
much as a car without an engine or a watch without a battery. A person
may even be classified as a genius, but if they know not the God who gave them
their ability to think and communicate, or even worse deny His existence, they
know nothing and are really blind fools chasing after some empty concept of
“meaning” and a “quality” life.
We think because our Creator thinks. We
communicate because He communicates. We speak because He speaks. He
passed these abilities to us from Himself at Creation. We are made in His
image. We possess these qualities ONLY because our Creator does and
passed them on to us. How dark indeed is the mind that denies the One who
created it, and how arrogant. It really is stupendous in its stupidity,
the height of ignorance and self-delusion, to use the mind given to us, the
mouth given to us, the gift of thought and speech, to tell the Giver, you don’t
exist, or to defy His rule over us. But, of course, Scripture says it
best, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." (Psalm
14:1, KJV).
Nations also possess qualities of mind.
Nations are made of up people who collectively comprise the national mindset
and form the national character, from the common person to the highest
government official. A nation is good or evil depending on the nature and
character of its people and government. In a representative republic like
the United States, we elect people to political office to represent us in
governing our country. We choose representatives who most closely match
our ideas of how to govern our local communities, our state, and in Washington
D.C. at the federal level. If a majority of the American people who vote
are corrupt and godless, knowing not God or caring what He’s said about life
and our conduct, they will elect corrupt, godless people to govern. It’s
not rocket science – we get the government we deserve. If our government
is dysfunctional and corrupt, it’s because we are dysfunctional and corrupt as
a people, as a nation. We’re dysfunctional when we don’t function and
operate as intended by the One who created us. God had a purpose for
creating man. It’s incumbent upon us to seek God and to inquire of Him,
and to determine His purpose for our lives.
Apart from God, how do we, as Americans, determine
the value and purpose of life, our own and that of others? By what
criteria do we direct our moral compass and chart a straight course for ourselves?
Where and how we find value and meaning is of the utmost importance to our
well-being, mentally, physically and spiritually, and the well-being of our
nation. If we try to find value in material things or even other people,
when those things disappear and the people leave or die, our value is
diminished and our life can be left in shambles. What determines my
value? What am I worth?
Let’s pretend that you find a decorative, old,
mosaic glass lampshade in the attic of a house you just bought. The glass is
really dirty, caked with years of grime, won’t fit any of your lamps, and you
don’t like the design or colors. So you decide to throw the shade
away. But just as you’re about to toss it into the outdoor trash bin
with all the other attic junk, the sun illuminates what looks like a word
etched into the glass. Out of curiosity you get a damp cloth and wipe
away the dirt and grime until the word becomes clear. Freed from years of
hiding, now gleaming in the afternoon sun, the word “Tiffany” jumps out at you
and gives your heart a jolt. Turns out that old glass lampshade you were
about to toss in the trash is worth a pile of money, enough money to pay off
your new house, all your bills and provide a hefty sum for a very comfortable
retirement. Why? Because the creator of the glass, Louis Comfort
Tiffany, is known around the world for having created some of the
highest quality glass. Tiffany pieces are unique and extremely valuable.
If "Smith" or "Jones" had been
etched under that dirt and grime, the lampshade would have been considered
worthless and gone in the trash. Or, if the name "Tiffany" was
never noticed at all, you would have tossed a piece of property worth a small
fortune in the trash. We determine the value of clothes, jewelry, art,
music, furniture, electronics, glass, pottery, pots and pans, virtually every
material item by the name of the product’s creator, or brand. But we
don’t do the same for ourself. Why? There’s something very faulty
in our thinking, indeed in our very thought processes, like an engine that
misfires. Our minds are off kilter and in need of transformation to
be brought into line with our Creator's design. We are told to "acquaint
thyself with thy God" and it very much pleases Him when we set our minds
to obey that command. It's a lifelong journey of spiritual discovery and
revelation that never gets old or boring, and can't even be completed in this
lifetime, but will continue into the next and throughout eternity. Our Father,
Creator, is truly an awesome God.
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