Mind your mind

This verse scared me:

"The evil mindset spread to the leaders and priests and filtered down to the people—it kicked off an epidemic of evil, repeating the abominations of the pagans and polluting The Temple of God so recently consecrated in Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 36:14 MSG - http://bible.com/97/2ch.36.14.MSG)

As leaders, we must never let our guard down. We talk a lot about guarding our lips:

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]." (Psalm 141:3 - AMP)

However, we need to move that "guard" higher up in the chain knowing that it's the thoughts in our minds that sometimes flow through our mouths. Would you ever have imagined such an impact of an evil mindset? If you read the rest of that chapter, you'll see how that led to an epidemic of evil and then exile. Frightening right?


This version of the usually quoted Proverbs 4:23 aligns with our topic:

"More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it." (CEB)

The verse we started with should really not be a surprise because Psalm 133 tells us:

¹How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! ² It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, Flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes. ³ It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life. (MSG)

Likewise, when a evil mindset starts from the head, it pollutes and poisons the rest of the body. This piece feels like "preaching to the choir" - but we all agree that the choir needs to hear and live by the Word of God. So please let's continue to mind our minds...