By Doug Shamblin

We have been told that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. We also know that the mind is a wonderful tool that God has given us and we must feed and protect it.

Feeding the Mind

In our small town area there are three grocery stores and 16 restaurants to procure a meal to take care of our hunger. Choices range from Chinese, Italian, Tex-Mex, burgers, and hot dogs—if you call them food! The grocery stores entice us with assorted displays in various departments to encourage us to buy their products. We struggle to make the correct choices because we want to do our best for our families to keep them healthy.

Just as we need food and water to keep the body alive, we need to feed the mind so it can grow with us. Feasting on the Word of God strengthens the mind so that we can rightly divide the word of truth, hiding it in our hearts so that we will not sin against God. Use whatever means you can to memorize God’s Word and make it a priority as you get to know the one true God.

Protecting the Mind

Satan will do anything he can to get us to follow his wicked, lethal path to destruction. We must be willing to fight back and defend ourselves. When we feed our minds with God’s Word, we are protecting the knowledge center and backing up our “hard drives.”

“And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (Genesis 3:22, 23).

Thankfully God allowed Adam and Eve to “reboot” their lives after their disobedience. He still allows us to come back and “reboot” with him as well. Take advantage of the “update” before it expires.

Doug Shamblin lives in Pomeroy, Ohio with his wife, Sherry. He has served with churches and para-church organizations in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia for over 23 years. He is the Director of Children’s Ministries with the Middleport, Ohio, Church of Christ and as chaplin for the Middleport Police Department.