Healing of the Mind

Dr. Richard Dobbins, founder of Emerge Ministries in Akron, Ohio, wrote an article – actually part of a series – entitled, “The Healing of the Mind.”

Did you know your mind can be healed and refreshed by the presence of God?

Your mind is the computer terminal of your entire life. It can be corrupted. It can have a virus. It can be full of garbage and useless information. Look back over your life, and try to remember details and names of the people you’ve engaged. That trip back in time will yield both positive and negative memories. If you do look back, make it a quick glance. The enemy may try to unload toxicity and faults, failures, mistakes, and poor decisions. Or, a trip back in time can become your greatest strength.

Do you continue to rehearse the pain of your past? Is that all you talk about? Are you a walking, broken record? If so, has it ever occurred to you why you may be in short supply of true friends? No one needs a project!

Isaiah 51:1 says, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug.” The imagery emphasizes being chosen and brought forth by God despite humble beginnings. It points back to Abraham and Sarah as a testimony of God’s power and faithfulness. Their story reminds us that we cannot carry around the junk of our past if we expect to live in victory today.

Philippians 3:13 reminds us: “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s words urge us to focus forward, not backward.

1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “These things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction.” In other words, learn from the past—don’t live in it. The blood of Jesus sets us free. As 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 declares, “The weapons of our warfare… are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses… taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” Don’t let your mind run wild with speculations or fear. Take captive every thought.

Ephesians 4:23 encourages us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Friend, your mind can be healed and renewed. Invite the Spirit of God to fill your human spirit. Memorize truth from Scripture to replace old lies. Forgive those who have wounded you. Allow trusted mentors to help you reinterpret your past through God’s perspective.

Change your mind, and you’ll change your spirit. Change your spirit, and you’ll change your life. Healing—body, soul, and spirit—begins in your mind.