Monday May 13
I’ve always been a bit of a daydreamer and as such have been told a time or two, “Get your head out of the clouds and come back to earth!” But earthly thinking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Apostle Paul tells us that as Christians, instead of on the things of the world, our minds should be set on the things of the Spirit. “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (vs. 5)
Once we were in chains, slaves to our sin and burdened under the Law of God which we were unable to obey. But Jesus died to free us from bondage. He became the perfect fulfillment of that Law, and because of His sacrifice not only are we reconciled to God and declared righteous, no longer do we have to lead lives driven by the sinful desires of the flesh. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (vs. 1) The moment we receive Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. And through the power and strength the Spirit provides, we can take captive earthly desires, urges, and thoughts that keep our focus from where it belongs, on God.
Having minds set on the Spirit allows us to have the spiritual mindset of God Himself, and to concentrate on the things which are pleasing to Him. Things like love, fellowship, praise, worship, and obedience. And once our minds our set, our bodies will soon follow. For, “whatever the mind is minding, that is what we will walk after. If the mind is minding the flesh, we will walk according to the flesh; if the mind is minding the Spirit, we will walk according to the spirit.”...Watchman Nee
Why should our perspective on life be one of maintaining a spiritual focus? Because as vs. 6 tells us, “the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Not only do we have the assurance of eternal life, but also life in the sense of one filled with the love, hope, and joy that comes with having a close, personal relationship with the Lord. And once hostile to God, unable to please Him, we can now have peace. No longer His enemies, forgiven through the blood of Jesus, we have “received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!"(vs. 15) Matthew tells us that it’s impossible to serve to masters. (Matt. 6:24) We can either have a mind set on the flesh which leads to death, or a mind set on the Spirit which leads to life. Which will you choose?
We need to continually rid ourselves
Of every lofty thought
And everything that sets itself up
Against Jesus Christ, our Lord
For if we don't, we can't move on
To where God wants us to be
And walk in Jesus' love and grace
And to truly be set free
Satan comes and attacks our minds
To stop what God wants to do,
We shouldn't listen to his constant lies,
For in him, there is no truth
Our thoughts should be on the things of God
That builds us up in our faith,
Singing His praises and worshipping Him
And upon His word, meditate
For this is how we can actively take
Every thought captive to Christ,
By filling our minds with the things of God
And to do what we know is right
Despite what the world around us says,
We need to guard our minds
And refuse to give in to its worldly ways,
Nor allow it the chance to bind
For Christ did come to set us free
From the way we lived before,
So we may always walk in that freedom
With our faith and trust in the Lord.
.......lM.S.Lowndes
