Thoughts in Repose

Here I am back with another meditation. It has been awhile. I am presently in the task of taking the meditations I have written so far and having them bound together in a book. And I have not been particularly moved to write another. But today is an exception. I am in the process of slowly reading through a book by that brilliant Catholic nun, the late Sister Miriam Joseph. The book is entitled Shakespeare’s Use of the Arts of Language. That dear woman forgot more about language and grammar than I will ever know. Her Catholicism notwithstanding, she was a tremendous scholar and I have learned some very valuable things from her. I hope through grace that she is one of God’s elect who was deceived by her Catholic upbringing. Should that be the case, I look forward to seeing her one day and thanking her for the contribution she made to my life and ministry. Of course, first thanks and praise go to God from Whom all blessings flow from whatever source.

Anyway, reading in her book today she was commenting on the subject of ethos. She defines ethos as “the persuasion exerted upon the minds and hearts of the audience by the personal character of the speaker, causing them to believe in his sincerity, his truth, his ability, his good will toward them.” Now it is not my intent to write today about ethos. I just thought I should let you know what it meant since I mentioned it. But as she was writing about this, she cited an example of ethos in a quote from Banquo, one of the characters in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Here is a line from that quote that grabbed me:

“Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose!”

Let that statement sink in. Think about what you think about when you are in repose, when you are not busy with something else and your mind can go wherever. Do your thoughts turn to lust after forbidden things? Or do they indulge covetousness for things you neither need nor can afford? Do your thoughts turn to burning anger against someone who offended you so that you wish evil upon them for what they did to you? Do you relish imagining that evil happening to them? Do your thoughts visit things in the past better forgotten than played over and over in the mind? If so, these are so many “cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose.” And just as Banquo sought help from heaven to restrain such “cursed thoughts”, so ought you. Consider these prayers and adopt them for your own:

Psalms 19:13  Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalms 51:10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 119:36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

But we have a responsibility to guard against these “cursed thoughts” as well. We have this commandment given to us:

1 Peter 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ….

Now just what is it to “gird up the loins of your mind”?

Gird - To surround, encircle with a belt or girdle, esp. for the purpose of confining the garments and allowing freer action to the body. Fig. To prepare for action; to brace up for, to, or to do something.

When you gird a garment about you, you are restraining that garment so that it does not impede your movement. This would be especially true in a time when people wore flowing robes. So the lesson is that we should not allow our thoughts to roam about without restraint. We should confine them to those things that best prepare us to serve our God, wage the Christian’s warfare, and be ready for the appearing of our blessed Lord.

In attempting to “gird up the loins of your mind,” first cultivate a hatred of these “cursed thoughts.” If you hate them, you will mount greater resistance against them.

Psalms 119:113  I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Secondly, recognize that moments of repose, when the mind is not occupied, are moments of vulnerability. You will be more on your guard if you recognize the times when you are most vulnerable. Thirdly, fill your mind with the right kind of matter so that in moments of repose your mind tends more in that direction than in the direction of “cursed thoughts.” And consciously focus your thoughts to think on this wholesome matter so that the mind is trained and strengthened to go there when you are in repose.

Psalms 119:97  O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

Psalms 119:148  Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It is a fact that our mind thinks on what we feed it. So be careful what you fill your head with, because that will likely be what comes to the fore when you are “in repose.” And lastly, whilst repose is a blessing and something we all need, we must guard against too much repose. The old saying is true: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” And nowhere was this more clearly illustrated than in the infamous Sodom.

Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

50  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

May these verses rather characterize your thoughts in the hours of your repose:

Psalms 4:4  Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalms 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.