As we prepare to hear from God’s Word for us today, you’ll immediately notice the passage, once again, beings with a “therefore.”  Two weeks ago, we had a similar “therefore” in our Scripture reading from Romans 5.  As we said at that time, “therefore” obviously points to something Paul has been writing about previously.  Their frequent use in Romans also points to the systematic structure of Paul’s letter to the faithful in Rome.  In fact, Romans is considered the most systematic theology book in the Bible.  Point building upon point, Paul systematically teaches about God’s love for His people and salvation being brought to us through Jesus Christ.

            Today’s “therefore” is, in some ways, a hinge point for the entire book of Romans.  Paul is “thereforing” not only what he wrote about immediately before his words begin what we know as chapter 8, but he is “thereforing” the points he has previously established.  In sum, those points are we stand in need of a Savior because of our sin and God has provided that Savior through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Immediately before these words in chapter 8, Paul has written about his own struggle with sin and how that struggle seeks to put him in despair.  “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing…What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 7:19, 24, 25).  So, in response to this struggle that wages war in the apostle Paul…and in us all, Paul writes these words, (Read Romans 8:1-11).

            Are you familiar with the book Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz?  I read it in college—this was back in the early 70’s (shudder!)—when, in my mind’s recollection, it was a new and popular philosophy about the power of the mind.  I was surprised to learn, as I researched more information about the book this week, that it was written in 1960.  It was over 10 years old when I read it.  And, to some degree, it remains popular today.  Just Google “Psycho Cybernetics” and see what you get.  In sum, Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon who noted an interesting phenomenon.  Despite the physical restoration that took place in many of his patients, they remained convinced they were still “ugly,” or the prominent feature or distortion corrected by the surgery was still in place.  Maltz became fascinated with this “inner voice” that seemed to be speaking to these patients no matter the outward correction that had taken place.  His research and studies led to Psycho Cybernetics.  I’m not sure if my summary does justice to Maltz’s work, but it is basically this, what we focus our minds on, what we tell ourselves through the powerful voice of our minds, is what we will believe about ourselves and act upon.  I’m sure that’s too simple and too inadequate, but that is basically it.  Cybernetics is technically defined as “the science or study of communication in organisms, organic processes, and mechanical or electronic systems.”  I believe the original “cybernetics” involved guidance systems in missiles.  Maltz’s work, in essence, explored the guidance system of our minds, how what we focus our minds on, what we think about ourselves, guides and directs our path.

            What particularly interested me in Psycho Cybernetics at that point in my life had to do with my playing baseball.  As I’ve told you before, just about everything in my life at that point had to do with baseball.  The interest in Psycho Cybernetics was due to an experiment Maltz conducted as a part of his research and cites in his book.  It involved improving the dart throwing skills of a test group of people.  After first setting a baseline of dart throwing ability for each person, the group was then divided into three separate groups.  One group received no instruction on dart throwing, nor were they allowed to practice dart throwing.  Needless to say, that group did not improve in their skills of dart throwing!  The interesting study was in the other two groups.  One group was giving instruction about dart throwing, then allowed to practice based upon that instruction.  The other group was given the same instruction, but rather than physically practicing, they were to “mentally” practice—to sit in a comfortable place, void of distractions and mentally picture themselves throwing darts as they were instructed and to mentally picture doing so successfully.  The result, as I remember it, was the group that only practiced mentally improved their dart throwing skills at a comparable level to those who physically practiced.  I saw it as a way to improve my baseball skills.  Now, to be sure, my coach wasn’t interested in excusing me from physical practice so I could mentally practice!  However, he was fine with that being a supplemental form of practice to our daily, regular three hours of practice.

            I’d like to give you the statistical data to show how much I improved.  I’d like to do that.  But I don’t have it.  I do believe it was helpful, but I didn’t make a research project out of it.  I also believe this, although I haven’t made a research project out of it either.  What we focus our minds on, what we allow ourselves to contemplate and consider will speak volumes about what we say and do, about what kind of people we will be.

I wouldn’t begin to suggest that the apostle Paul was interested in psycho cybernetics.  He was, however, very interested in what we focus our minds upon and how that affects us.  “The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace,” (Romans 8:6).  Elsewhere in Romans, Paul writes, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,” (Romans 12:2a).  In Philippians, Paul writes about those whom he describes as living as “enemies of the cross of Christ.”  Of such people, Paul says, “Their mind is set on earthly things,” (Philippians 3:19c).  For followers of Christ, however, Paul concludes his letter to the Philippians with this encouragement, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” (Philippians 4:8).  Paul would not call it psycho cybernetics.  But he is very much aware of the power behind what we put our minds to, what we think about and contemplate.  And he would encourage us to contemplate holy and pure thoughts.

I am reminded of a lesson from our Parent to Parent curriculum.  Parent to Parent is a program that seeks to educate and encourage parents who are journeying through that difficult period of raising adolescents.  In the session entitled Awareness is Your Best Friend, parents are taught the character tree.  While the context in that class is the development of character in our kids, it is apropos to our discussion today about what we put our minds to in the development of our own characters.  It goes like this.

At the basic core of our beings is our intellect, will and emotions.  These are basically internal things, in the illustration things that are “below the surface” of who we are.  To be sure, there are outward expressions of these core elements—which as we shall see is the process of developing character—but their beginnings are as internal, core expressions of who we are.  They are, if you will, the soil and seed of what will eventually grow as our “character tree.”

  The beginning watering and nurturing of this soil and seed is our thoughts.  An idea will come to our intellect, will and emotions and we begin to consider acting on that thought.  We begin playing on the theater of our minds what it would look like to act upon that thought, what would it feel like, what would be the results and the consequences.  The more we think and consider such things, the more we begin to develop an attitude about that thought.  The attitude is what first appears above the soil of our beings.  Consider something long enough, develop an attitude about a particular course of action, and eventually we will take that action.  If we think the action will benefit us in some way, if we think it will bring us pleasure of some kind, if we’ve played it on the theater of our minds long enough and have come to those conclusions and have developed a supporting attitude—and, perhaps, have figured out a way in which we won’t get caught (presuming an action we initially know to be wrong)—we will probably take that action.  Repeat that action enough and it becomes a habit and habits form the shape of our character.

In the Parent to Parent class, parents are encouraged to look for the attitude developing in their kids because that is the first thing they will see.  They won’t see the thoughts and considerations going on in their kid’s mind.  Now, as an aside to parents, you can seek to limit the kinds of things that influence and affect your children’s thoughts and considerations, but the first thing you will see, and should respond to, are their attitudes.  That’s for parents concerned about raising kids with good character.

However, I want to speak to each one of us today about what kind of character are we developing in ourselves.  What Paul is concerned about for himself, the Romans, and us is what kinds of thoughts and considerations are we allowing to play on the theater of our minds.  Are our minds controlled by the sinful nature, which is death?  Or are our minds controlled by God’s Spirit, which is life and peace?  Are our characters developing into ones conforming to the patterns of this world?  Or are our characters developing into ones conforming to God’s will for us, characters “transformed by the renewing of our minds” according to what is good, holy and pleasing to God?  We worship, in part, that our minds might be renewed in God’s Spirit.  Yes, we worship primarily to give God the honor and glory He alone is worthy of and deserves.  But a by product of our worship in God’s wonderful economy is that our minds are renewed in God’s Spirit.  That is also why things like prayer and Bible study are so important.  Those disciplines direct our thoughts and considerations, developing minds set not on the sinful nature but on God’s Spirit of life and peace.

Take to heart…and mind what Paul knew to be true, and what Dr. Maltz researched and wrote about—what we focus our minds upon will have powerful affect upon what we say and do, the kind of character we will develop in our lives.

So, when the thought of wretchedness strikes you, in some fashion similar to how it struck Paul, whatever it might look like when some one or some thought wants you to believe you are beyond the graceful reach of Jesus Christ, let your mind dwell upon the thought of Paul’s great “therefore” that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  When some thought or some one tempts you to take action you know to be wrong, to be outside God’s will for you, do not let your mind get set on “earthly things.”  Rather, let your mind dwell upon whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…let your mind think about such things.  For what both the apostle Paul and Maxwell Maltz discovered to be true is this, the mind we’ve been created with is very powerful—not just as a “computer” for processing information, but also as our cybernetics, our guidance system for shaping and forming our character.  Let us use our minds in the manner and purpose for which the Creator intended.