Christian Living

A Mind Magnetized

by Terry Barlow
01/14/13
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Upon re-reading a short story by James Joyce (An Encounter) I found a penetrating image. Twice Joyce refers to a particular pitiful characters's plight of mind being "magnetized' in such a way as to revolve repeatedly around the same perverse center, being as it were, imprisoned in that limited orbit. It made me want to strive again for a renewed mind, demagnetized of any unhealthy obsessions, remagnetized for the Kingdom, revolving in larger and larger orbits. A friend (and I know what he meant) questioned our being able to "think God's thoughts after Him" as I think Issac Newton claimed to do. But is that only for geniuses?  We are all gifted though, of course, we are not all geniuses.  A gift, unlike genius, depends more upon the gifted one to cultivate that gift.  How about the gift of a new mind?  That's it, a mind that draws God's thoughts and godly thoughts after itself like a magnet! Cultivating thoughts of true things, noble things, just things, pure and lovely things, whatever is praiseworthy and virtuous, and anything that is a good report. That would be an excellent start! (Phillipians 4 v.80)