IF YOUR MIND WERE A CAR, WHO WOULD BE ITS DRIVER?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives
life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-2)

MEDITATION:
Do you ever have a feeling that you are hemmed by your circumstances?
Maybe it’s a job that pays well but it doesn’t fulfill your personal desires.
You may be well qualified for the job, but you would much rather be doing
something else that you really enjoy.

Changing jobs would require a drastic change in lifestyle due to a salary
reduction, but it would also mean that you would look forward to going
to work each day, and you would be more fulfilled and relaxed when you
returned home at the end of the day.

That is just one example and I’m sure we could add many more.

It’s the same way with sin, isn’t it? We would much rather be living
righteously, but sin has a tight grip on us and torments us every day.
If we make a conscious effort to break free, it means we will have to
develop a new lifestyle.

However, we will find that ‘breaking free’ from the chains of sin
that is trying to bind us and control our lives, is a much greater
task than we could have ever imagined. Even when the Lord helps
us break the chains of sin, we discover that too often we can easily
slip back into old habits.

A man was working with a petroleum company in Singapore when
he was visited by an inspector from another country. He came to
check on a cargo of oil destined for his country, which was at war.
When the inspector heard the sound of fighter planes overhead, he
instinctively ran for cover. Embarrassed, he explained,
    “Sorry, I thought I was back home.”
He did what he would have done if he had been in his war-torn country.

For the Christian, it’s easy to dive back into old ways of sin out of sheer
habit, because the things of the world tempt us in many ways. Even if
we are “in Christ Jesus” (as stated in Romans 8:1), sometimes we can
feel like we are living “in sin”.

Out of His love for us, God paid a very high price to take us out of
the realm of sin. He did it by sending His own Son as a sin offering.
    For what the law was powerless to do because it
    was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending
    His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be
    a sin offering.
    (Romans 8:3)

Because of what He did, we can now be governed by
        “the law of the Spirit who gives life”
    and not by
        “the law of sin and death”.

Paul tells us we are controlled by what originates in our mind.
    Those who live according to the flesh have their
    minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who
    live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds
    set on what the Spirit desires.
    (Romans 8:5)

When we “live in accordance with the Spirit”, we are taking our
direction from God’s Word and are guided by His Spirit. This
is why we should read the Bible often, attend worship services
to learn even more, and most of all, pray on a regular basis.

We will fail to have our mind “set on what the Spirit desires” if
we don’t invite Him into our minds. The world will use many
different venues to “set our mind on what the flesh desires”. It
will use movies, television, music, peer pressure and many other
things as a way of filling our minds with unrighteous and sinful
thoughts (just to name a few).

If we only allow the things of the flesh to enter our minds, then we
can’t expect the things of the Spirit to guide our lives. There is no
better teacher than the Holy Spirit, and no better text than God’s
Word.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – What is in control of my mind?
    – More importantly, what am I putting into my mind?
    – Do I expect to live righteously by filling my mind with worldly things?
    – How much time do I spend reading God’s Word,
       attending worship services and praying?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know what is filling my mind. I want to
open the doors of my mind to the Holy Spirit so that He will be
in control of my life. Convict me of the areas where I need to
improve on inviting Him into my mind and life. Forgive me if
I am not reading Your word enough, or not going to Your house
on a regular basis, or not praying to You daily. I now realize that
I must make a conscious effort to repel the things of the world
with Godly things. When my mind is full of garbage, I can only
expect garbage to show up in my thoughts, words and actions. I
want to live my life “in Christ”. Thank You Jesus, for the incredible
sacrifice You made for me, so I could live a life under the control of
the Holy Spirit. When I am tempted to drift back into my old sinful
habits, I pray that Your Spirit (residing in me) will alert me and steer
me back in the right direction.”

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