Spirit Mindset

MINDSET OF THE SPIRIT

Romans 8: 5-8

5-For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

6-For to set the mind on the things of the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7-For the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

8-Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

——————————————————————————

Sobering words from the Apostle Paul written in the book of Romans.

Paul wrote this letter to the church located in Rome to offer guidance on how to live for Jesus. What does it mean? What practices are to be avoided so that followers can experience the peace that passes understanding? How does the life of a Jesus-follower look in comparison to the life of a non-believer?

He puts it simply. The mind set on the Spirit brings life and peace. The mind set on the flesh brings death. Mindset is key and represents the bottom line. The submission of heart and mind to the Spirit is pivotal.

A mindset is defined as:

”A person’s usual attitude or mental state is his or her mindset. If you have an environmentalist mindset, you probably bring your own bags to the grocery store.” (Source: Vocabulary.com)

Things seem to be changing quickly in the world today. Social media, emails, blogs, podcasts, all of them contribute to the type of mindset we are in from the time we wake up until we close our eyes in sleep.

Our mindset is at the mercy of all this input. Input matters.

After reading this passage for the umpteenth time, Paul’s words hit me with a fresh smack. I started to take note when my anxiety and fear felt off the charts. I asked myself where was my mindset? Was I fuming about a problem that’s none of my business? Was I dwelling on the past and doing the “coulda’, woulda’, shoulda’ ’’ routine? Was I complaining about being tired? Was I nursing a grudge or hurt feelings?

If I answered yes to any of these, then I knew my mindset was on the flesh. And… what does that bring according to Paul? Death. It brings death.

After recognizing this, I turned my mind’s eye to Jesus. I thought about Creation, how beautiful the oceanside, or how amazing the human body with its ability to heal, or how plants grow from a simple seed, earth and water.

You get the idea.

And guess what happened? Every time. The Holy Spirit took over, jumped in the driver’s seat (again) and took the wheel for proper course correction.

It became a constant thing throughout the day for me to check my mindset. It wasn’t natural. I don’t like to submit, but I didn’t want to be useless to God. I didn’t want to be hostile to the One who gave his life for me.

Without the heart and mind set on the Spirit, we cannot submit.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God.

Hostile! It does not submit. It cannot.

When I feel emotions of fear, anxiety, anger, jealousy, contempt, unforgiveness, I turn it to God in prayer. I confess my true feelings to Him and submit my mind to His Spirit. As a result, I feel peace begin to spread through my heart and mind.

I repeat the process over and over as many times as I need. If I forget, and find myself spinning out of control, I turn my mind over as soon as I realize it. Every day. Every hour, as needed.

Check your mindset. Make every effort to keep your heart and mind set on the Spirit so that you can have life and peace. Glory to God!

See less