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“Have you lost your mind?”
This is a statement that I heard almost more than any other statement growing up. Whether it came from going into the creek in my church outfit, or getting a speeding ticket going 60 in a 35 later on in my teenage years, it seemed as though the majority of the decisions I made typically had no thought process behind them. Honestly, it’s a miracle in itself that my dad doesn’t have gray hair from raising me.
I think we can all agree that no one wants people to assume that they are crazy. In life we’re taught to go along with the status quo. And generally speaking, if everyone is doing something and it’s legal, it’s typically accepted by the vast majority of society.
The biggest problem that arises amidst this ideology is the fact that there are two different worlds in which the contrast is so great that the ways of one will seem like complete nonsense to the other.
Oftentimes we hear the statement, “Have you lost your mind?” when we do something that puts our life in danger. This is because without giving our life to someone else, self-preservation remains the biggest goal for everyone. The “American Dream” is really just American comfort, and we have confused our understanding of Christianity with our culture of comfort. So we have Christians that claim to be servants of Christ with self-preservation at the top of their minds.
Thus a question arises: Is it possible to live for yourself and simultaneously live for God?
As I began to take my faith seriously and actually surrender everything to God like Jesus says , I realized that following Jesus would totally make you look crazy to everyone that hasn’t decided to follow Him wholeheartedly.
We see in the Bible that the great men and women before us were able to accomplish many things through their faith in God by not thinking of themselves, but by closely following and giving themselves entirely to Jesus.
“32 And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions, 34 Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts. 35 [Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life. 36 Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated—38 [Men] of whom the world was not worthy—roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth.” - Hebrews 11: 32-38 AMPC
Today, we see that a Christian can be considered smart to the world and smart to the body of Christ. But the problem that arises is that the Bible tells us that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.
“18 Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise. 19 For this world’s wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness; 20 And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are.” - 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 AMPC
Therefore , a fool to the world could be a wise servant to God, and a highly intelligent person to the world could be a fool to God.
When the Bible asks us to renew our minds, it is simply referring to changing our focus from what we can see to the things we have never seen. With this mentality, we are bound to run into confrontational ideologies with those living based on what they can see.
“2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” - Romans 12:2 AMPC
Losing your mind in the world is necessary for gaining spiritual insight and revelation.
Most of us would agree that our country is in desperate need of revival, but a revival comes from a deep revelation of who God is. The sad reality is that the majority of us that claim to want revival can still be found focused on the cares of this world ourselves.
“3 And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. 2 Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight.” - Revelation 3:1-2 AMPC
Unless we entirely depart from adopting the ways of a sinking society, we will find ourselves drowning even while claiming that Jesus is our lifeguard.
“19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.” - Mark 4:19 AMPC
The Question of the Day: Have you lost your mind or does the devil think you’re perfect just the way you are?