By W. R. Jones

We are all acquainted with an old adage which says, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” It is possible for one to misuse his mind and it is possible for one to allow his mind to become disused. God condemns both. We frown exceedingly upon the person who misuses his mind by allowing it to be filled with lust, avarice, and hate, but we have failed to understand that disuse or idleness of the mind concerning the things of the Lord will bring “spiritual decay.” I am told the following story which very graphically shows “disuse will result in decay.”

Victorious Roman Legions, left behind to rule a defeated Spain, built an aqueduct in Segovia in AD 109. And for 1800 years—sixty generations—that aqueduct carried sparkling water to hot and dusty Segovians. About the turn of the twentieth century, thoughtful Spaniards decided the aqueduct should be preserved for posterity, and so should be relieved of its age-old labor. They laid modern pipelines and stopped the flow that for years had gushed and gurgled in the aqueduct. Shortly after, the aqueduct began to fall apart. The blazing sun dried the mortar and made it crumble. Its stones sagged and fell and soon it lay in ruins. What ages of service could not destroy, idleness rapidly disintegrated.

There are many people today who use their minds to dwell upon the very “rot” of the earth. Concerning such people, God expressed the following attitude in the long ago. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart,” Gen 6:5,6. It grieves God to see His creation engaged in the distortion of their minds.

I believe it can be said with equal force that God is also grieved to see our minds lying idle in spiritual disuse. For this very reason Paul admonished. “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all,” 1 Tim 4:15. And again, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things,” Phil 4:8.

May God help us all to study and meditate upon his Holy Word. And by all means remember: “disuse will result in decay.”