My, Devotion to Him #54
Staying Focused on and for God can be challenge. We face many things in life that try to distract us from Him. Many would denounce this thinking. However, anything that does not glorify Him or help us in our Focus of Him is a distraction. Yes I understand there are somethings we have to live with. But! We need stop letting that become the excuse why we cannot Focus on God. In order to be successful at anything one does in life one has to stay focused to accomplish the task. It’s true for keeping a job, studying for any given test, completing anything. We have to stay on track, we have to stay Focused.
1. Only the Saved can Control their Thoughts.
VERSE PASSAGE: Genesis 6:5 “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” – NIV
Also a great deal is said in Romans 1:18-32.
We also see in places where the Bible talks about us renewing our minds, being steadfast in Him, getting refreshed in Him. Non-believers have nothing! They cannot control their minds even if they wanted to. Why? Because they do not have the One whom they can come to in which they can renew their mind. They can submit their flesh. We need to realize that those whom are Saved have the chance to control their mind. Will you?
Unsaved individuals are so involved in sin that they think evil thoughts continually. Some don’t even know it’s of Evil because THEY ARE NOT SAVED! They base what they think is right off of themselves and what the world accepts. Understand this good and evil has already been established by God! You will never ever change that. We need to stop thinking that we can control, adapt, and alter what is considered good or evil. The God of the universe has already made His decree it’s done.
2. When the Holy Spirit Dwells within Us we have the mindset of God.
VERSE PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” – NIV
3. We are responsible for controlling our thoughts.
VERSE PASSAGE: 1 Peter 1:13-19 “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” – NIV
This here encourages us to be holy in our thoughts.
4. You must control your thoughts to control your actions.
VERSE PASSAGE: Romans 8:5-8 “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. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” – NIV
VERSE PASSAGE: 2 Corinthians 10:4 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” – NIV
Those who live according to the Spirit will think of spiritual things. We wrestle daily with our minds, with our flesh. We are fighting a spiritual war. Our mind and flesh do not want to submit to God but we have the power to force them to submit.
Today I start a 30hr famine. A famine with a youth group. We are doing it to help the kids understand how other people live. They go over a day or more without food because of the situation they are in. We will play games to help these kids get a visual grasp of how life is over there. Our flesh will be unruly, our mind will be upset. But! We will force them to submit to our fasting. As we control our thoughts are actions will reflect such.
5. We must not allow our Minds to be Corrupted.
VERSE PASSAGE: 2 Corinthians 11:2-4 “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” – NIV
Paul expresses his concern that the believers in Corinth may be deceived and he urges them not to allow their minds to be corrupted.
6. We must set our minds on the things of above.
VERSE PASSAGE: Colossians 3:1-3 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.” – NIV
VERSE PASSAGE: 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” – NIV
You see we use to think this way. We use to love the world. However, since we were made new in Him and we reside in Him we shall therefore love Him and not the things of the world. Our thoughts and desires need to be focused on God and not of our own.
7. Stay focused upon the Lord.
VERSE PASSAGE: Philippians 4:4-8 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” – NIV
VERSE PASSAGE: 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – NIV
You have the strength, access, and power through Christ Jesus to control your thoughts. As Christians we are all called to renew our minds in Him through the Word and through Prayer. As we start to focus on Him more and more we will begin to change the way we think and the way we act or react to things.
Be blessed my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Copyright © 2017 by Jacob D. Olinger
Spirit Warrior Ministry 