THE ORDERED MIND

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND” – 1 Timothy 1:7

The ORDERED MIND – the Sound Mind – is God’s Gift to every Believer: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND” (2 Tim. 1:7). How we sustain and deploy the ordered mind is our responsibility before God. It is not uncommon to go through moments of stress, pressure, or fear and be so exhausted we can hardly think straight. Such moments should however not elongate into seasons when we are tempted to wonder if we’re losing our mind. God’s Word declares that we who believe have been given a sound mind that functions well even in the wildest and harshest of situations!

The apostle Paul wrote the book of Second Timothy at a very difficult time for the Early Church. Due to Nero’s recklessness, he was persecuting believers everywhere through cruel and gruesome methods of persecution. Timothy who was the pastor of the church of Ephesus at the time, knew that Nero’s secret police would take special pleasure in killing him in some barbaric way if they ever got their hands on him. This threat to his life was enough reason for Timothy to have been gripped by a spirit of fear; hence Paul encouraged him that a spirit of power, love and sound mind was his portion, not one of fear!

The phrase “sound mind” derives from the Greek word sophroneo – a compound word combining sodzo and phroneo. The first part sodzo means to be saved or delivered; suggesting something that is rescued, revived, salvaged, and protected and is now safe and secure. A commentary suggests that sodzo could actually depict a person who was on the verge of death but then was revived and resuscitated by new life being breathed into him. The second part – phroneo – carries the idea of a person’s intelligence or total frame of thinking — including his rationale, logic, and emotions. It refers to every part of the human mind, including all the processes that are engaged in making the mind function and come to conclusions.

The compound word sophroneo therefore describes a mind that has been delivered, rescued, revived, salvaged, and protected and is now safe, secure and functioning in an orderly mode. Thus, if the Believer’s mind is tempted to succumb to fear, as was the case with Timothy, allowing God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will work to deliver, rescue, revive, salvage, and order the mind. The rationale, logic, and emotions can be shielded from the illogically absurd, ridiculous, unfounded, and crazy thoughts that might have tried to grip the mind in the past. The secret is in laying hold of God’s Word and His Spirit.

A mind that is guarded and guided by the Word of God thinks differently. The mind is the battlefield of spiritual warfare (2Cor.10:4-6). When the Word of God is allowed to work in the mind, it safeguards the emotions; defends the mind from demonic assaults; and it shields the soul from arrows the enemy may try to shoot in order to arouse a spirit of fear within. It is important to understand these spiritual realities because to live a life of faith is to reach out to do the impossible, and the enemy will try to assault one mentally and emotionally in an attempt to abort growth or terminate progress.

In Jesus name, I have a sound and ORDERED MIND. I will not lose any part of my mind to addiction, anxiety, confusion, unbelief, fear or any controlling habit or negative emotion. By the Word and the Spirit of God, I shall always think straight and exercise self-control in stressful situations. My Lord has told me to cast all my cares, concerns, and burdens upon Him, because He cares for me (1Pet.5:7). As I focus on Jesus, I am assured of a mind that works effectively and excellently well! I can command the devil in the Name of the Lord, to shut up! I can declare by faith that my mind is sound, safe, and secure!