For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of . . . a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7.

The Greek word for "sound mind" means a balanced, integrated mind with all its powers operating together. The central idea is that of adequacy for every situation. We are able to use all our mental powers with efficiency and purpose.

We hear and read a great deal these days about unbalanced minds, crippled minds, minds that get short-circuited with disastrous consequences in every aspect of life. Ellen White writes that "nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here [in the mind]."—Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 444. Broken minds are one of the prevailing problems today.

The gift of a sound mind comes from God. The hope of the church and the world lies in our having the mind of Christ. Every difficulty and choice that life thrust upon Christ, He met with freshness, courage, faith, hope, and love. Pain, loss, separation, loneliness, opposition, fear—none of these disturbed His inner peace and tranquillity of mind. He shaped them all to His advantage. He was pressured and hounded on every side. But He sought no escape from life. He ran away from no responsibility because of a sense of insufficiency. He resorted to no withdrawal because of inferiority.

The power of the gospel is intended as much for the healing of the mind as for the healing of the body. Life's problems are not solved unless the solution begins here. Christ's work of redemption includes the restoration of our life resources. Paul put it this way: "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in its" (Eph. 3:20). Christ never leaves us to become victims of the trials and difficulties and pressures of life. His love possesses our minds. We are in His hands.

If our faith in Christ is to mean anything at all in life, then it must free us from those destructive abnormalities that infect the mind, and make the abundant life impossible. He promised to make us whole.