It’s easy for our minds to become cluttered and contaminated with negativity, distractions, stress, and sin. Just as our bodies need detoxification to cleanse and rejuvenate, our minds require the same. Not just for our own spiritual, emotional, and mental health — but for the sake of our relationship with God.
In this article, borrowing from a sermon I preached several years ago, I want to lay out a few Bible passages that can help you detox your mind so you can “walk worthy” with our Lord (see Ephesians 4:1) and call on Him “out of a pure heart” (see II Timothy 2:22).
Foundationally, a clean mind begins with a clean heart, which begins with giving your heart to Christ. If you’re not sure where you stand in your relationship with God or whether you’ve ever really given your heart to the Lord, please read “The Romans Road to Salvation” here on this blog (follow this link), read and study the Scriptures referenced in the article, pray over those Scriptures. You should also read John 3:1-21 and Ephesians 2:8-10.
After you’ve read, studied, and pondered over those Scriptures, please feel free to contact me and/or your pastor — or the pastor of a Bible-believing church close to you. Any of us would be happy to answer questions and discuss them with you.
Assuming you have given your heart to Christ, let’s look at the following passages for this first part of our article on detoxing the mind.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)
When I pastored a wonderful little congregation in Ohio, my family and I lived in a modest 3-bedroom parsonage on the church property. The parsonage had a 2-car garage. Jane decided we should use one of the car bays for storage and store one of our cars in the other. I’ll let you guess which one of us got to park their car in the garage.
A lot of people use their garage for storage. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it does serve as a good illustration for the mind. The more junk and clutter you have in your mind, the less room you have for stuff that’s healthy and good.
And God wants us to have the “engrafted word” at the center of our minds. The NKJV translates that as “implanted word.” And, based on the words that follow “…which is able to save your souls,” there is some dispute among theologians and textual commentators as to whether this is a reference to Christ or the Scriptures.
Obviously, it’s Christ who saves. But, for our purposes, as we look at what James is trying to get across, I believe James would say that we’re perhaps unnecessarily debating a distinction in his meaning. A follower of Christ should “receive with meekness” the words of Christ and those Christ commissioned. In other words, we should keep Christ dear in our hearts and we should likewise be immersed in the words of our Lord and those who wrote as inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Problems arise, however, when we fill our minds with “filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness.” Breaking these terms down:
- “Filthiness” – The Greek word used here is “rhuparia” (ῥυπαρία). It refers to moral impurity, defilement, or filthiness. It can describe a state of spiritual uncleanness, pollution, or contamination.
- “Superfluity” – The Greek term used is “perisseia” (περισσεία). It conveys the idea of excess, abundance, or surplus. In this context, it refers to an excess or overflow of wickedness or evil.
Obviously, when we fill our minds with that junk, we crowd out the words of our Lord. We have little room for our Lord and His teachings. So, get rid of the junk. Start with the obvious and clean up your mind.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)
Something I didn’t emphasize in my original sermon, but which I should have — had I the time to do so — is humility. This is crucial because…
If you approach life (your health, marriage, career, whatever) with a sense of self-centeredness or entitlement, your spirit will not be right to receive the Word (Jesus) or His words (the Scriptures).
Contrary to popular assumption, humility doesn’t simply mean that you won’t brag. It’s more than that.
The Greek word for “Humble” in James 4:10 is tapeinóō (ταπεινόω) and it conveys the idea of humbling oneself, lowering oneself in humility or meekness, and acknowledging one’s dependence on God. Meekness and humility go hand in hand.
And self-centeredness is the opposite of humility. Why? Because it is the root of pride and bitterness and rebellion itself. Think about it. People turn to sin most often to relieve stress or cope with unhappiness. And we are most inclined to do this when we make happiness our primary quest and see unhappiness as that which we should avoid at virtually any cost.
A humble person doesn’t put his or her happiness at the top of their list of priorities. A humble person, in fact, doesn’t put himself or herself at the top of the priority pile.
The great Christian writer C.S. Lewis once wrote: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
If you think of yourself and your happiness more than you should, then you will effectively downplay, dismiss, or even justify your lusts, negative emotions, and sinful behavior when your needs, wants, and/or desires aren’t met or fulfilled.
You will also open yourself up to anger and bitterness. And these things will completely derail your walk with God.
So you need to lower yourself and de-center yourself in your relationship with God. Only then will you be positioned to properly and thoroughly detox your mind.
A decontaminated and decluttered mind opens your heart up more to the leading of the Holy Spirit and draws you closer to the intimate, loving, rewarding relationship God wants for all His children.
It’s worth it to have a clean mind and heart.
This concludes the first part of our look at detoxing the mind. Part 2 is coming soon.
In the meantime, for further reading:
Hello Pastor Tubbs
I am really blessed by you preachings would to hear from you.
Thanks so much and God bless you.