Fixed

There is a big difference between thinking about God from time to time and having your mind “fixed” on Him. Echoing psychologist William James, researcher Jeffrey Schwartz wrote, “The essential achievement of the will is to attend to one object and hold it clear and strong before the mind, letting all others—its rivals for attention and subsequent action—fade away like starlight swamped by the radiance of the sun.” Have you ever dropped a contact lens on the carpet? Your intense focus causes the brain to suppress anything that distracts you from finding the lost lens—lint, carpet colour and pattern, cookie crumbs. Your mind is “fixed.” It responds with the laser-like focus of a bloodhound given a shirt with the scent of a fugitive. It’s amazing how often people see themselves as victims of whatever thoughts happen to run through their head. It’s like they’re passive spectators with no control, watching unbidden thoughts scroll across the screen of their mind. Understand this: there is a battle being waged by Satan to control the kinds of thoughts that run through your mind. And it’s a battle you can’t win without God’s help. The ultimate freedom—one nobody can take away from you—is the freedom to decide what your mind will dwell on. In describing the truly blessed person, the psalmist wrote, “His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” When your mind is “fixed” on God, you will see evidences of His presence everywhere you look. You will be able to say with certainty, “Surely [not maybe] goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalm 23:6). So keep your mind fixed on God.