Life and Peace- Week Two

I’ve heard it said that the most valuable real estate is our mind. While I know this is true, most days, I undervalue this particular asset. Instead of cultivating my thinking, I focus on the externals and things outside of my control.

What about you? Consider for a moment – what’s going on in your head? What three words would you use to describe your current mindset?

Be honest.

Now, holding on to those words, let me ask one more question. Do these words encompass the life you most desire?

Often we believe a lie that our circumstances determine who we are and where we can go in life. We think if this thing happens, if God provides for this need, if I have a different job, if people treat me right, if a door opens…

While they certainly do impact us, ultimately, our circumstances don’t have the power to determine who we are or how we think. Our actions and who we are becoming is 100% our responsibility. Our character, our direction, and our choices flow out of what is happening in our heads.

The Apostle Paul said it this way, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6 NASB) Life and peace. I don’t know about you, but I want those words to describe me. And the reality is, they can. So, what does it look like for us to develop a life-giving mindset?

As a child of God, I am a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). I am part of the family of God. And life is a family trait. Our Father is Creator – all breath, all existence, all growth is a gift from Him. And the life of God is more than just breathing and living; it is becoming and transforming. By entering human life, being born as a man, Jesus offers real life – life eternal.

Listen to how John describes it, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13

Life is the expression of our Christian walk. True life always yields life. Healthy things (and people) grow. The more we lean into the Spirit and experience life, the more life overflows in and through us. A life mindset reveals itself through gratitude, purpose, vision, care, kindness, and love. It looks forward to the future, sees the best in people, and doesn’t stay stuck.

But knowing the truth of our identity and desiring to change our thinking isn’t enough to produce God’s life. Romans 8 highlights a two-prong action plan. We have to put to death our natural way of thinking. But we can only do that through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our mind is a battleground. As Paul explains it, on our own, we gravitate toward death. This doesn’t necessarily mean we think about dying or killing others, but rather that our natural pull is away from life. Maybe we tend towards anxiety or anger or fear or depression or lust. Each of these leads us away from fully experiencing life.

Despite what our thoughts tell us, we must cling to the truth. “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10) No matter what we face, no matter what we’ve done, and no matter what happens to us – we have access to full life in Jesus.

Back to your three words. Do they match the truth? If they do, celebrate that. If they don’t, invite the Spirit to transform your mind and show you His truth. Then believe and act on it. And keep reminding yourself of that truth again and again.

As we look toward 2021, let’s commit to set our minds on life and peace. Instead of focusing on the things we cannot control (COVID, travel, calendars, our bosses, our spouses, the list can go on and on), let’s focus on what we can. We can develop a life-giving mindset, and that thinking will determine who we are and who we become.