“Too Many Mind”: Finding Focus for Divided Minds

A scene from the 2003 movie The Last Samurai has stuck with me for all these years. It often comes to mind when my mind is unsettled and struggling to find peace due to a variety of external and internal factors. In the scene, Algren, a decorated American war hero, is participating in a practice sword fight to test his newly developed skills. It is not going well for him and he continues to find himself face down on the dirt. Eventually, Nobutada, a young warrior from the village, comes to him and offers a piece of advice. Nobutada tells Algren, “Too many mind… Mind to sword. Mind to people watch. Mind to enemy. Too many mind.”

When our minds are racing in so many directions and our attention becomes divided, it becomes exceedingly difficult to address any of the issues well.

Even with the broken English, the point of this short quote is clear, poignant, and much needed. If we were to break the quote down categorically, it is a caution against the effects of becoming distracted and defeated because of excessive attention to the weight of the tasks before us (mind to sword), concern for the observations and opinions of others (mind to people watch), and anxiety about adversarial obstacles and issues (mind to enemy). When our minds are racing in so many directions and our attention becomes divided, it becomes exceedingly difficult to address any of the issues well.

From the moment I wake up every morning until the moment I finally fall asleep at night, my mind is constantly on the move. There is a constantly evolving, and seemingly never-ending, list of tasks requiring my time, attention, and effort. As soon as I complete one, there’s another waiting for me. While I have developed the ability to do what needs to be done regardless of what others may think, I very much care what others think. As a pastor, I regularly have to go against the grain of public opinion and tell people things they might not necessarily want to hear both within the church I lead and within the community at large. Even as I write this column every week, I am continually imagining how and if my words will be read, how they will be received, and what readers will think as a result. And, shocking as this may seem, even as a pastor, I have adversaries and opponents, some spiritual, some human, and a great many the making of my own imagination. Put simply, I have “too many mind,” and I’m certain the issue isn’t unique to me.

As followers of Jesus, we need to replace the many minds that run us ragged with the mind of Christ.

We need to recalibrate our focus; We need to mitigate the meanderings of our minds. In Colossians 3:1-2 we read, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” As followers of Jesus, we need to replace the many minds that run us ragged with the mind of Christ. Rather than flailing our proverbial swords aimlessly in the drive for empty success, we need to lay them down and find rest in the work Christ has done for us. Rather than worrying about the fickle opinions of others, we should take solace in the fact that our efforts are for an audience of One. And, rather than seeking to attack and overcome our enemies, we should do as Christ commanded and love and pray for those who oppose us.

There will always be responsibilities that demand our attention, and we should always seek to do the best we can, but we also have to remember that we are all only human. There are limits on our time, talent, and energy. Relationships will always require effort, both for better and worse. But, we must keep first things first. By resting in the grace of God for us we are able to then share His grace with the world. Our focus on things above, and the renewal it brings to our minds, allows us to meet the demands of our day without the undoing that comes from a divided mind.