Where is Our Mind—Set?
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
(The Letter of Paul to the Colossians 3: 16 NASB)
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
On average, each person has about 55,000 thoughts per day. In fact, in the next minute as you read this devotion, you will experience thoughts split into two categories: negative and positive. Psychologists tell us that a greater percentage of our thoughts are negative.
However, would it not be wonderful if we had the ability to change the pattern of our thoughts? Well, we do & the Word of God speaks ONLY the TRUTH!
The Bible tells us—
- We can live—transformed.
- We can walk through each day—changed.
- We can focus our minds fully (every second of every day)—on JESUS.
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, . . .”
May we ask ourselves:
- Am I fully trusting God’s Word?
- Am I meditating upon it day and night?
- Am I allowing the Bible to instruct and lead my path?
- Am I: “with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians living in Colossae to remind them that he was praying for them, and to encourage them to walk each day in a worthy manner, in the way the Lord would have them walk.
In similar fashion, Paul also wrote a letter to the Christians living in Rome to remind them to set their minds on the things of the Holy Spirit and not upon the things found in the flesh.
“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 8: 5-8 NASB)
but those who are according to the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit.
For the mind set on the flesh is death,
but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God;
for it does not subject itself to the law of God,
for it is not even able to do so,
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
IS THAT NOT OUR WHOLE LIFE PURPOSE?—TO PLEASE GOD!!!
- GOD KNOWS US, INTIMATELY AND PERSONALLY!
- GOD SEES US—BODY, SOUL & MIND!
Since the Bible speaks ONLY TRUTH, then our thoughts can be a place of despair OR peace. If we truly trust God, then we will allow the Father to guide our steps, to lead us where He wants us to go, & to lead us in His Perfect Plan, in His Perfect Will. Would you not agree?
- Despite where my work takes me—
- Despite how my health changes—
- Despite what my loved ones do or do not do—
- Despite how bleak the world around me looks—
- Despite come what may—
EVEN THERE—GOD WILL GUIDE US—IF WE KEEP OUR MINDS FOCUSED ON HIM & OUR EYES SET UPON HIM!
This really is quite simple.
- In our daily work, our jobs, our tasks, our conversations, our reactions—Pay attention to God!
- In our daily walk, our interacting, our situations, our struggles—Set Our Minds on God!
An English poet from the American Romantic period wrote a wonderful group of words set inside a poem. She paraphrased Exodus 3, the meeting of God with His servant Moses, a meeting that occurred on a day long ago, while Moses was shepherding his flock all alone in the middle of the desert.
EVEN THERE—WHILE ALL ALONE—GOD SPOKE WITH HIS CHILD MOSES!
- May we take off our shoes.
- May we realize our humanity.
- May we kneel in reverence to our sovereign LORD. &
- May we recognize that the very ground where we kneel is—HOLY GROUND when we encounter God.
May we today & every single day—Set our minds upon HIM.
Thus, it is with the beautiful poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning that I end.
“Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.”