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. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6 ESV)
We live in a world full of distractions. Entire categories of learning and professions have been developed to assist companies and organizations with grabbing your attention. Here is a hard fact, according to one survey the average American checks their phones 344 times a day. You don’t have to do the math, the survey did it for us, that’s once every four minutes. Some of us are way above average…
This entire devotional series is titled: Return. The hope is that this devotion would be a clarion call to the body of Christ to seek God intentionally, urgently, and humbly. As I’ve already said during our time together, Satan doesn’t have to defeat you if he can distract you. With the progression of our connected lives, we are constantly bombarded with quick, easy, cheap access to information and entertainment. This access combined with the relentless marketing in our world means that our minds can easily become fixed on the wrong things.
Do you know that in this golden age of technology that people are becoming more and more depressed? Would it surprise you to know that study after study reveals that people are becoming more anxious, less productive, and less content? Today I would challenge you to pause for a few minutes, turn off the TV and just sit in the quiet of the moment. In fact, stop reading this devotion for just a few minutes and consider this question: what (or who) is my mind set on? Go ahead, I’ll wait…
Now that you’re back, go and re-read the focal Scripture for today. I want to ask you to consider this question honestly and humbly: is your mind set on the things of the Spirit or the things of the flesh? There is a quick way we might be able to identify this. Do you feel peace in your life? Paul tells us that those who set their mind on the Spirit will experience life and peace. I’ve heard it said this way, know Christ, know peace. No Christ, no peace.
Before we go too much farther, I want to share a bit about me. I am married to my beautiful wife and best friend Amber; we have four children ranging from the age of 13 to two. For most of my life I’ve worked in the secular world full time and served in ministry consistently. Between my marriage, my kids, my career, and the Church, I know a thing or two about being busy. I want to share a hard truth with you, if your priorities are out of line, it will impact every part of your life. Without Jesus, you can’t be the spouse, parent, or servant you’ve been called to be.
Because distractions abound, what is the servant of Christ to do? I believe there are many intentional steps we can take but the very first is to fix our eyes on Jesus the Founder and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). We need to prioritize our lives in a way that makes intentional, consistent time to spend with Jesus and then protect this time carefully. Do you keep your eyes intentionally fixed on Jesus? Quick, answer this question: when during the day do you intentionally, consistently make time for devotion?
For most of us, we don’t purposefully make time for devotion and are surprised when our God feels far away. We are winging it, living on distractions and a prayer. You’ve heard me say it before, but I’ll share it again: you are going to make time for what is important to you. In this case, you are going to make time for who is important to you. So, step one for fixing our eyes on Jesus is making intentional, daily time to seek Him.
Although some begin each day with devotion (I like this approach), others end each day with devotion (this seems to be most consistent for me). Your consistent time of devotion may be each day during your lunch break or when the kids are napping. No matter when it is, be intentional and purposeful about it. Turn off the TV and Spotify, then set your mind on the things of the Spirit. This may last 15 minutes, it may last an hour, the point is not the quantity of time but the quality of it.
How do we set our mind on the things of the Spirit? I’m sure your tired of hearing it, but I’m going to repeat it. We fix our mind on the things of the Spirit by reading and meditating on the Word of God. We read the Scripture and seek God’s guidance on how to live by His Word. We intentionally spend time praying and asking God to both reveal His will for us and give us the ability to walk by the Spirit. We may spend some time singing and praising God. Devotion may look different each day, but the point is we’ve made time to meet with Jesus, learn more about Him, to be known by Him, and to fix our minds on Him.
If you do this consistently, you’ll find yourself looking forward to your devotion time. You’ll be excited about and craving the special time you are making for Jesus. It will be a time where the Lord recharges you, strengthens you, teaches you, and helps you orient all your other relationships correctly. The more you know Christ, the more you will know peace.
Father, please help me to set my mind on the things of the Spirit. Lord, the distractions in this world are abundant and can be a challenge. Please teach me to not only fix my eyes on You, but to also eliminate unnecessary or sinful distractions from my life. Jesus, I confess that sometimes I don’t make You the priority You should be in my life. Today, I pray you would help me correct my wrong way of thinking. Holy Spirit, help me reorient my life as often as I need. Please teach me to seek You intentionally, consistently, and passionately. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.