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Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)

How do we love God with our mind? This isn’t about intellectual assent to beliefs about God but rather using our mind to love God. Maybe that seems odd. We often say we love with our heart and think with our mind. Yet our minds encounter and process both thoughts and feelings. Our minds give shape to what we say and how we act.

We know how to put our minds to use in service of school or work. May we discover anew how to engage our minds in service of loving God.

Listen

Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.

Romans 12:2

Think

Renew your mind so you can figure out what God’s will is. The Apostle Paul makes it sound so easy.

I remember worrying a lot about knowing God’s will. With big decisions ahead of me, what would happen if I chose something that wasn’t God’s will? Sometimes I felt paralyzed to make a decision because I was afraid I would pick a direction that wasn’t pleasing to God.

It isn’t always clear what is good and pleasing and mature. Christians can (and often do) disagree about what God’s will is. So how do we know what to do?

Paul speaks to a community in his letter. The “you” he refers to is plural, as in “you all.” We need one another when it comes to figuring out God’s will. The Christian life is best lived in a community of people whose minds and hearts are tuned to following the way of Christ. None of us knows all the answers, but together we may get closer to discerning the mind of Christ.

Ann Deibert

Pray

Transforming God, open my mind to perceive your wisdom. Show me your way and give me courage to follow you. Amen.

Go

God loves your mind. God loves you.

Invite God to renew and transform your mind to love God and your neighbor.

Then go in peace and share that great love.