Spiritually Minded 09

We’ve seen that becoming spiritually-minded won’t happen automatically. It will require some effort on our part. Two things we need to do is first to keep a close watch on our minds, and second to include fasting and prayer as a discipline in our spiritual walk. This week, we will look at a third way that God has given us to ensure that His Spirit and our spirit are in control of our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, motivations & imagination.

BEING SPIRITUALLY-MINDED

A third thing we can do to remain spiritually-minded is to renew our minds by immersing ourselves in God’s Word. Romans 12:1-2 says, “1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” And Psalm 1 describes the blessings that result from meditating on God’s word day and night.

As we study the Bible, we must put ourselves ‘under’ God’s word. We must never presume to be ‘above’ God’s word. For a Christian the Bible is the highest authority. No one should ever pick and choose what he likes and dislikes in God’s word. I’ve even heard of one man who blots out in his Bible whatever he doesn’t like!

God’s word doesn’t change, but it has the power to change us if we allow it to have its rightful place in our lives. It helps us identify and repent of sin; understand and claim God’s promises to us; recognise and obey God’s commands; and discover and learn from the examples of people in the Bible.

We’ve already learned from the negative examples of a few carnally-minded people in the Bible, but there are many positive examples of spiritually minded people as well. Here are a few to get you started:
The Thessalonian Church, 1 Thessalonians 1
Stephen, Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-60
Philemon, Philemon 1:4-10
Lois, Eunice & Timothy, 2 Timothy 1: 3-7
Barnabas, Acts 11:22-25

I’ve heard the process of renewing our minds described as ‘spiritual breathing.’ We exhale the stale, suffocating air of sinful thoughts, attitudes, words and actions. Then we inhale the refreshing, invigorating air of God’s word. Daily study of the Bible is a necessity in order for us to be spiritually fit and healthy. This routine is not legalistic any more than it is legalistic to breathe or eat regularly. We can decide how to breathe and eat, but the important thing is to do so consistently. Likewise, we can decide how to study God’s word, as long as we do it often. They say it takes doing something consistently for 21 days to form a habit. Why not start today?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on being spiritually-minded. Next week I will be starting a series on the Prayers of Paul recorded in his epistles to the churches in the New Testament. I hope you’ll join me.