So Heavenly Minded; No Earthly Good?
I’ve been thinking lately about the old saying, “You’re so heavenly minded that you’re of no earthly good.” While Scott (scottorrmusic.com) was visiting with us a few weeks ago he sang the Johnny Cash song by this title. It was meaningful to the Scripture text we were reading (Matthew 6:1-18). Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of self-centered religion. Devotional practices that are focused on self are of no good to God or man. Jesus might well have said, “You’re so self-absorbed that you’re of no earthly or heavenly good.” Reflecting on the Johnny Cash song, I think that was the intent of his musical musings.
The Scriptures state quite clearly that there is a redeeming quality to being heavenly minded. The apostle Paul urges us to, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). Richard Baxter’s book, “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest” has become a devotional classic on this practice. Baxter was an English puritan pastor and theologian in 17th century England. In his book he gives a number of reasons for “bathing thy soul in heaven’s delights.”
1. Protection from Temptation.
“Will a judge be persuaded to rise from the bench, when he is sitting upon a case of life and death, to go and play with children in the streets? No more will a Christian when he is contemplating his eternal rest, give heed to the alluring charms of Satan. A heavenly mind is the freest from sin. He has so deep an insight into the evil of sin that temptations have little power over him. When you have had a fresh, delightful taste of heaven, you will not be so easily persuaded from it. You cannot persuade a child to part with his candies while the taste is in his mouth. Further, while the heart is set on heaven, a man is under God’s protection. If Satan then assaults us, God is more engaged for our defense, and no doubt he will stand by us and say, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When a man is in the way of God’s blessing, he is in the less danger of sin’s enticing.”
2. Strength in Our Christian Life.
“The heavenly Christian is the lively Christian. It is our strangeness to heaven that makes us so dull. We run so slowly, and strive so lazily, because we so little focus on the prize. Watch the man who is focused on heaven, and you will see that he is not like other Christians; something of what he has seen above appears in all his behaviour and conversations.”
I’ve been thinking lately about the old saying, “You’re so heavenly minded that you’re of no earthly good.” While Scott (scottorrmusic.com) was visiting with us a few weeks ago he sang the Johnny Cash song by this title. It was meaningful to the Scripture text we were reading (Matthew 6:1-18). Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of self-centered religion. Devotional practices that are focused on self are of no good to God or man. Jesus might well have said, “You’re so self-absorbed that you’re of no earthly or heavenly good.” Reflecting on the Johnny Cash song, I think that was the intent of his musical musings.
The Scriptures state quite clearly that there is a redeeming quality to being heavenly minded. The apostle Paul urges us to, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). Richard Baxter’s book, “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest” has become a devotional classic on this practice. Baxter was an English puritan pastor and theologian in 17th century England. In his book he gives a number of reasons for “bathing thy soul in heaven’s delights.”1. Protection from Temptation.
“Will a judge be persuaded to rise from the bench, when he is sitting upon a case of life and death, to go and play with children in the streets? No more will a Christian when he is contemplating his eternal rest, give heed to the alluring charms of Satan. A heavenly mind is the freest from sin. He has so deep an insight into the evil of sin that temptations have little power over him. When you have had a fresh, delightful taste of heaven, you will not be so easily persuaded from it. You cannot persuade a child to part with his candies while the taste is in his mouth. Further, while the heart is set on heaven, a man is under God’s protection. If Satan then assaults us, God is more engaged for our defense, and no doubt he will stand by us and say, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). When a man is in the way of God’s blessing, he is in the less danger of sin’s enticing.”
2. Strength in Our Christian Life.
“The heavenly Christian is the lively Christian. It is our strangeness to heaven that makes us so dull. We run so slowly, and strive so lazily, because we so little focus on the prize. Watch the man who is focused on heaven, and you will see that he is not like other Christians; something of what he has seen above appears in all his behaviour and conversations.”
2 comments:
I have seen these things to be true in your life. It is an amazing and awesome thing to see the hand of God upon someone's life like I have witnessed in yours.
You bring me hope that I can change and become less fearful, less driven by those things that frighten me. Like St. Patrick who could sleep in the woods by himself at night - oh, wouldn't I love to lie in peace amongst the threatening superstitions which until now have sent me scrambling for a small dark corner.
yfw, denise
Thank you for your piece on the old phrase "so heavenly minded... no earthly good...." Based on the Scripture Col. 3:1-3 and Matt. 6:10, I harbor the thought that the reverse is more true: I think more often we tend to be so earthly minded that we are of no heavenly good on earth.
I "stumbled" across your blog when I was myself searching the Web for articles on the subject. In so discovering your blog, you may want view mine: http://nationsforhisname.blogspot.com. Thanks.
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