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Loving God with All Your Heart - Part II
Mark 12:3030 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul andwith all your mind and with all your strength.' NIV
In this article we will discuss what it means to love God with all of our mind. What isinteresting about this subject is that it is one of the few areas of our lives that Godhas given us great influence over. Think about it, we may not have much influenceon what goes on outside of us, yet we do have great influence over what happenson the inside; on what we decide or what we allow ourselves to think. Consider thisscripture:
Luke 11:33-3634 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, yourwhole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also isfull of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is notdarkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of itdark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines onyou." NIV
A lamp here, represents a window that allows light to shine into your heart andmind. If it is a darkened window, it never allows any light at all, and therefore themind and heart remain in darkness. What determines whether we are to let lightinto our hearts and minds or remain in darkness is our ability to choose whether wewill be open to the truth of God, accept His love, put our trust in Him, and commitour lives to his ways. The ability to choose what our response will be will determinewhat the results will be and what state our hearts will consequently be in. Wheredo all these things take place? In our minds of course.In other words, God has placed the ability to determine what we think well withinour influence. This is important because our thoughts influence our perspective,which influences our attitude, which affect our emotions and ultimately determineour actions. Thoughts PerspectivesAttitudeEmotions/Actions Therefore the key to obedience to God, and the fulfillment of all that He wants of usbegins in the mind.We will be held accountable for the way that we act because what we think andtherefore how we behave is well within our control, especially as Christians.Consider this scripture:
1 Cor 10:12-13
 
13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And Godis faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. Butwhen you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you canstand up under it. NIV
According to this scripture, the decision making ability is well within our control, dueto God's help and the strength given us by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, we haveno excuse when we behave in a way that does not bring glory to God. What wemust begin to practice is how to think godly thoughts, that lead to godly actions,and that will ultimately secure our place in heaven.
Preparing our Minds for Action1 Peter 1:13-1413 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set yourhope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. NIV
It is our responsibility to train our minds to think in ways that will lead ourperspectives, and ultimately our actions to fulfilling God's principles and commandsin our lives. Since our actions are a product of our thoughts, then it follows that bytraining our minds to think godly thoughts, it will lead to godly actions. Considerthis other scripture:
Rom 12:22 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but betransformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to testand approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV
 Through scripture, God shows us that the road to change, growth andtransformation begins by the renewing of our minds. In other words, when we forceourselves to think godly thoughts, we will have more conviction that will compel usto live more godly lives. As our brother Paul tells us:
2 Cor 5:13-1514 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one diedfor all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who liveshould no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them andwas raised again. NIV
It is the understanding of the love of God through the Jesus' sacrifice on the crossthat develops godly conviction that leads to a godly life. Yet again, it all begins withour ability to think about, accept, and internalize the truth of Jesus' love for us.
 
 The constant exposure to this truth results in deeper conviction that overwhelminglydrives us to a righteous life. This is probably the best reason that we have for reading God's word as often aspossible. The more we read our Bibles the more we are convinced of the truth of God's love and the more we develop our faith and our conviction that helps us live agodly life. As the Bible says:
Rom 10:17-1817 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message , and themessage is heard through the word of Christ. NIVGodly ThinkingPhil 4:88 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anythingis excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. NIV
What are the thoughts that we as Christians should be thinking? According to theprinciples above we should focus our minds on thoughts that are : true, noble, right,pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, and other thoughts like these.God and His love, Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross, love for others, faith, etc. allfall into these categories, and by spending more time meditating on these we willbe more motivated to put our trust in God. God's creation is also a good source forbrain food which God encourages us to meditate on. Consider these scriptures:
Ps 143:55 I remember the days of long ago;I meditate on all your worksand consider what your hands have done. NIVPs 145:55 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
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