Saturday, April 24, 2010

Civil War?

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3, italics mine).

In reading these verses before, I've never noticed, until this morning, that St. Paul is addressing two different aspects of our humanity.  He addresses two distinct parts of our inner selves; two parts that, to some degree, govern and influence our ability to have meaningful relationships with God and with others. I'm speaking of the heart and the mind.

Aren't these really one and the same thing, just being described with different words? I don't think so. Paul makes the distinction elsewhere, like in Romans 7. He mentions therein that he delights in God's will (v. 22), that he desires to do what is good (v. 18); both are workings of the heart. But he also speaks of the law of sin at work in his members, waging war against his mind (vs. 23, 25). If both are speaking of one and the same thing, then why did Paul use two different words so closely together?  I believe the two are different parts, but both are intimately and closely related to the proper function of the other. And to our ability to love and relate to others.

The heart and the mind must be united on their goal or destination. My heart may sincerely desire to be a better husband, but if my mind is not set in agreement with the heart and is allowed to lust or fantasize about other women, then I am experiencing an internal civil war. My heart may want to help the poor, but my mind may only think on why I should not. Scripture calls this state "double-minded" and says that a person living in this state is "unstable in all he does" (James 1:7). 

I believe that the heart and the mind should be in harmony and in union with one another, if we are to love properly. And I further believe that the mind should be brought into subjection to the heart.  I do not believe that our minds should be ignored; they should be listened to thoroughly. But, in the end, the heart should be followed and the mind engaged. This is called "integrated"; from the word "integrity". A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Lord, set my heart and my mind on the same object of affection; namely, yourself and your will. Amen.