There are those who see no use for the mind at all and feel that it is contrary to faith. If you want to operate in faith they say, “You can’t get too intellectual or analytical.” Usually, anything that has to do with thinking or theological study is frowned upon. Unfortunately, there is some truth to this; there are too many intellectuals and theologians that have worked to undermine faith in a supernatural God and His supernatural intervention in our lives.
Cult groups love to encourage people to put their mind aside, as they promote their own agenda and recruit mindless followers. We must be on guard; we must realize that we need our minds to discern, to analyze, and to question good from evil, the truth from the lie. Our minds are absolutely essential to the development of a solid Christian faith.
Our mind is not to be cast aside like some piece of scrap metal on the scrap heap of life. No, it is a finely tuned, incredibly powerful super computer that just needs pointing in the right direction. If you put garbage into it, garbage will come out. If you allow it to be transformed by the Spirit of God, it can be aligned with faith, as opposed to faith.
God has given us our minds; this powerful tool, for a reason. Our minds can be used for good or evil, for building faith or destroying it. The Bible says in Romans 8:7 that “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Our mind must be renewed and transformed so that it lines up with God and His purposes.
When Peter stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus, he started out so well. Matthew 14:29-30 tells us “‘Come,” Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind he was afraid. As he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord save me!’
Peter got his eyes off the Source of miracles, the One who walked on water, and he got distracted. At that point, his focus changed from the supernatural to the natural and he began to fear. Peter began to analyze the situation; he got himself out of the place of faith. He began to fear the storm and at that point, one can only surmise that he began to question the whole walking on water thing.
If your mind is telling you something is humanly impossible, it’s difficult to stay in a place of faith. Your faith connects you with the limitless power and potential of God. It was the power of God that was holding Peter up on the water and as soon as his faith was quenched, that power was disconnected.
The mind, not renewed by the Spirit of God, scoffs at the suggestion that the miracles of the Bible; the miracles of God, are for today. People ask me, “Why don’t we see as many miracles here in the West as we do in other countries?” In my humble opinion, it is this western mindset, this culture of secularism and unbelief that pervades our thinking and quenches faith for the supernatural.
For many cultures in the developing world, the supernatural is part of the ordinary course of life. They experience the miraculous because they do not allow their minds to quench their faith. I have heard stories of people who came to a saving knowledge of Christ and when they began to read the Scriptures, they began to pray and act in faith and began to see and do incredible supernatural and miraculous things for God.
When other Christians (in their well-meaning way) saw these new believers operating in faith, they began to teach this new Christian that their beliefs were not ‘biblical’ or even possible. Immediately, those who were once immersed in faith, began to doubt their ‘correct’ version of interpreting Scripture and fell into the unbelief that you ‘can’t’ actually do the things they were doing, they stopped walking in faith and the miracles stopped. What a tragedy.
If your mind has trouble with the supernatural or walking by faith, then ask God to transform it. You have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) and the bible tells us “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25) If you have the mind of Christ, you have a mind of faith, a mind made for miracles!
Romans 12:2 says ‘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 acceptable and perfect.’ A worldly, carnal mind can be a barrier and quencher of faith. I would like to encourage you today, to ask the Spirit of God to renew and transform your mind and bring it into alignment with the Word and will of God.
Do not allow your mind to quench your faith, but ask God to so transform it that it expands your faith. Ask God to do such a great work in your mind that the next time you take a step of faith, you walk with confidence in the realm of miracles. I want to encourage you to fill your mind with the Word of God and faith, until faith automatically flows from it. Don’t allow your mind to quench your faith!
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