Scripture

2 Timothy 1:6-7 NKJV

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Consider

In this letter to Timothy, Paul reminds his young friend not to give in to fear but to stand firm as God’s person in the face of political persecution and personal attacks. Remember your faith, he tells Timothy, and let God’s grace and gifting define who you are and how you behave.

That’s good advice for any follower of Christ. Because the Spirit lives in us, we need not fear what others might think or do. We can rely on the Spirit to help us act with power and love and a sound mind, even in the most difficult and threatening situations.

A sound mind is, in fact, essential to facing adversity with boldness and loving-kindness. The original Greek word for sound means “sane, realistic, rational, or reasonable.” We see the richness of the term in the various descriptions gathered from different Bible translations of this 2 Timothy passage:

A sound mind means…

• self-controlled
• disciplined
• calm and well-balanced
• sober
• using good judgment
• temperate
• wisely discreet
• sensible

Note in particular the words sober and temperate. In the realm of substance abuse, these terms suggest freedom from the mind-altering forces of alcohol and drugs. In the realm of relationships, sobriety means freedom from beliefs and attitudes that distort our perceptions of ourselves and other people. Resentment, self-loathing, jealousy, vengefulness, pride, hate, greed, lust—these attitudes cripple our minds like an addictive substance and prevent us from acting with the grace and power and love that God desires.

A sound mind, on the other hand, is free of distortions and wholly submitted to God’s purpose and power in our lives and our relationships. It is, in fact, taking on the mind of Christ and following his example.

Pray

FATHER, thank you for your gift of a sound mind. Thank you for sending your Spirit to counsel and empower me to discard harmful attitudes that cause trouble in my relationships. Help me to renew my mind with every decision I make until my actions conform to Christ’s example and your will becomes my own.

Reflect

Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16

Ponder

What distorting attitude keeps me from enjoying a sound mind?