(A PERSONAL QUESTION; A PERSONAL ANSWER) WHAT DOES GOD WANT? (A PERSONAL QUESTION; A PERSONAL ANSWER)

Classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov STARTER The people who fed Pavlov's dogs wore lab coats. Pavlov noticed that the dogs began to drool whenever they saw lab coats, even if there was no food in sight. Pavlov wondered why the dogs salivated at lab coats, and not just at food. He ran a study in which he rang a bell every time he fed the dogs. Pretty soon, just ringing a bell made the dogs salivate. Classical conditioning by Ivan Pavlov

OPINION When you are conditioned to think as a prisoner or a slave, even when you are free, you will behave as a slave. One of the worse things in the life of a believer is a wrong mentality. That is, a mindset which is inconsistent with God’s word (Idea). EXTENSION

So, what does God want? Much as a general answer can be given, I wish for us to consider this question and its answer on an individual or a personal level. “I WANT YOUR MIND…I WANT YOUR ATTENTION” .

Clarity given during missions (in the Philippines )

Missions in Philippines was characterized by healing and the “MOVE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT”. And the beginning of all these was a single declaration of a word, which came as a result of thought delivered by the Holy Spirit. The word didn’t just appear. It first came as a thought. Reasoning (as to declare or not to declare) also took place, until a final decision to go ahead and say the word. And all these were the responsibility of the mind.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. Joshua 6:2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.’’

Gen 13:14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, Gen 13:15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.

Gen 15:4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” Gen 15:5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Gen 15:6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness

Why would God instruct Joshua to see that Jericho is his before he physically delivering it to him? Why would God instruct Abraham to count the stars? To check his prowess in mathematics? He did all these to influence their thoughts. Because the quickest way to influence your thoughts is through imagination.

Again, what does God want? First, He needs your mind/attention before anything else.

What is the mind? The mind is the faculty of a man’s reasoning and thoughts; it holds the power of recognition, imagination and appreciation; it is responsible for processing feelings and emotions, resulting in attitudes. Thought is the creation, recalling, reviewing and processing of information for meaning and expression. This means that the mind is an intangible facet of the body. If dissect a man you will not find the mind.

When you study Scriptures on the mind, you’ll discover that in the Old and New Testaments, several words are interchangeably used to refer to the mind or its activities. Examples are the words: thoughts and reason. In addition, the words mind and heart are sometimes interchangeably used in Scripture, but the mind is not the heart and the heart is not the mind. These are generic expressions, and so you may find them synonymously used at different points.

SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE MIND Daniel 4: 16 Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him. 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever……

SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE MIND Romans 12: 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. He placed the responsibility of your transformation on you. How? By the renewal of the mind. The mind can be managed. You can decided the direction it should go.

Philippians 4: 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

So what about love, faith, missions etc. Obviously, He wants us to love Him and our neighbors; He wants us to believe and have faith in Him. Surely, He has commanded us to go and preach the gospel. But how can all these be possible if our mindset is different from His? How can we effectively love and even preach the gospel without His guidance? How can we believe and have faith in Him if we fail to see and think in the direction He wants us to? Just as Joshua and Abraham, I believe that He needs our minds and attention first before anything else.