We have all heard someone say and have likely said ourselves at one time or another, “My mind is already made up.” It might be in response to someone selling something when we have determined we cannot or should not buy at this time. It might be regarding an assessment of who was at fault in some accident. But, whatever it might be, we are thoroughly convinced. Attempts to alter our thinking would most likely prove fruitless.
In some instances, having a “mind made up” is benign (that stewed tomatoes are inedible, that hot and humid climates are not good vacation spots). In those cases, life and death is not at stake; no one dies and no one gets hurt. In other instances, however, having a “mind made up” is critical (that driving while drunk is not dangerous, that people really like to be mistreated if as long as you are being honest in the process).
For most of us, our minds are not made up on more things than they are made up. My mind is not made up on whether cruising is a better vacation than a single location vacation, whether cycling is a better exercise for me than video workout, whether suburban living really creates a better living environment than living in the city, whether cell phones should be allowed to be used even with a hands free device while driving or not, etc.
I find two groups of people when it comes to religious conversation- those whose minds are made up and those whose minds are not made up. Mine is definitely made up. However, I have found through the years that likely more people have mild or strong opinion than have minds made up on matters of God, eternity or salvation. Sometimes being set in our ways on these things, convinced with minds made up can be fatal (Luke 16:29-31). Sometimes being convinced with minds made up on these things can be liberating (Romans 8:38-39). It depends upon what we are convinced.
For the unconvinced, it will require those of us who are convinced to live and share in convincing fashion that the good news is truly good, that God is love and that there is an appreciable difference between the forgiven and the unforgiven. It is not about arm twisting or mind twisting. It is about speaking and living in a way that helps people make up their minds that God is alive and well and living in his children.
I sometimes will ask people, “Tell me your thoughts on spiritual things.” People are usually happy to do so. I will sometimes follow with “How convinced are you?” People who have not had these thoughts in the center of their thinking often respond, “Not very.” One such person responded to me, “How convinced are you in what you believe?” I said, “My mind is made up, but I’m still learning and discovering new things about this on a daily basis.” The end result was the other person making up their mind on that day. What a great day, when our minds are made up in the direction of Jesus.