Heart and Mind

“Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds...”  Romans 12:2(a)  (CEB)

I have recently been working my way through a book titled, “Women of the Word” by Jen Wilkin.  Right off, in chapter one, she made a statement that caused me pause.  She said simply this, “the heart cannot love what the mind does not know.”  What exactly does she mean, I wondered?  Aren’t we to love God with all our hearts and minds?  Well, yes but….we must love God with our mind which allows our intellect to inform our emotions, not the other way around.

First, we have to know God by loving Him with our minds, thereby we grow by understanding who God is and we are changed!  Our hearts are changed after we have loved Him with our minds.  Think about marriage for instance, love grows as knowledge of our spouse increases.  It’s the same way with God, the more we learn of Him, (minds) the greater our love becomes (hearts). 

Suggesting we put our minds before our hearts sounds strange, almost  non- spiritual, I agree.  There are several scriptural references to the role of the mind.

•          Repentance – “if they repent with all their mind” and with all their heart in the land of their enemies...then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea.  1 Kings 8:48-49

•          Seeking God – “Now set your mind” and heart to seek the LORD your God.  1 Cron. 22:19

•        Finding peace – “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you.”  Isa. 26:3

•          Right worship – “I will pray with my mind” also I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 1 Cor 14-15

•        Understanding scripture – “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Luke 24:45

•         Transforming us – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Romans 12:2-3
  

Back in 1959, there was a song by The Teddy Bears, titled To Know Him is to Love Him.  As it pertains to this devotion, there could be no truer words! 

Delve into God’s Word, come to know Him and love Him!