Romans 8:5: For they that are after the flesh so mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace ( KJV)
Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by things of the Spirit. For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace (English Standard Version)
Strife isn’t always open warfare. In many families, strife is an undercurrent in the home that everyone knows it's there, but nobody deals with it. The atmosphere in the home (or church) is terrible, but nobody deals with it – Joyce Meyer, The Battlefield of the Mind
Why is what you think important? What’s the big deal about what we think about and the way we think? Our thoughts are very powerful, and according to Proverbs 23:7, they have creative ability. Our thoughts are eventually what we become. The way we think is the way we are, and that cannot be separated. ‘For as he calculates in his soul, so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7, ESV).
Thoughts determine your action; action determines habits; habits determine character, and character ultimately determines destiny. This is not a cliché, it is how life works. It all starts with our thoughts.
Thoughts can be general thoughts or a life philosophy. It could also be how you think about a specific situation or a person. The way you think about little things will determine the way you think about the big things in life. This does not only apply to one area of our life, leaving out other areas, all other areas of our lives are affected by one single thought in one area.
If you are calculating about the little things, you will be calculating about the big things. If you are thinking rebellious thoughts consistently, you will act in rebellious ways, become a rebellious person in character and eventually, your destiny will be determined by the consequences of your rebellion
On the other hand, if you consistently think kind thoughts, you will carry out kind acts, eventually become a kind person in character, and eventually, your destiny will be determined by the fruit of your kindness.
In essence, your destiny is headed in the direction of your thoughts. It is essential that we get insight and revelation to this truth, and to understand why Satan fights us at the level of our thoughts. When you sense that your life is not going in the direction where you do not want, check your thinking pattern and your outlook over a certain situation or person.
The Word of God says here that to be carnally minded is death, - when your outlook and your motivation is all about you- yourself, your needs, and when you are self-willed, it leads to death, but when your thoughts are yielded to the Spirit of God, it brings life and peace.
I always wondered why we had to yield our thoughts to the thoughts of the Spirit of God when God created us with our own will until I realized that man was never meant to be a self-willed personality independent from his maker. We were not made that way. The Bible said of Adam (mankind) that when God molded him out of the earth, He (God) breathed His breath (Spirit) in man and he became a living soul. We are living by God’s Spirit. We are to use our intellect and our thinking faculties, we need them to survive, but never without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I am sure you can identify with me that some people may be the smartest and richest and most beautiful but they still lack the life and peace that the Word of God is talking about.
Just as what we eat and consume determines our physical bodies, what we feed our mind determines our destinies our destinies, much more so than what we eat and drink. Right thinking therefore is essential to our posterity.
So How do we ensure that our thoughts are in the right direction?
Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by things of the Spirit. For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace (English Standard Version)
Strife isn’t always open warfare. In many families, strife is an undercurrent in the home that everyone knows it's there, but nobody deals with it. The atmosphere in the home (or church) is terrible, but nobody deals with it – Joyce Meyer, The Battlefield of the Mind
Why is what you think important? What’s the big deal about what we think about and the way we think? Our thoughts are very powerful, and according to Proverbs 23:7, they have creative ability. Our thoughts are eventually what we become. The way we think is the way we are, and that cannot be separated. ‘For as he calculates in his soul, so is he’ (Proverbs 23:7, ESV).
Thoughts determine your action; action determines habits; habits determine character, and character ultimately determines destiny. This is not a cliché, it is how life works. It all starts with our thoughts.
Thoughts can be general thoughts or a life philosophy. It could also be how you think about a specific situation or a person. The way you think about little things will determine the way you think about the big things in life. This does not only apply to one area of our life, leaving out other areas, all other areas of our lives are affected by one single thought in one area.
If you are calculating about the little things, you will be calculating about the big things. If you are thinking rebellious thoughts consistently, you will act in rebellious ways, become a rebellious person in character and eventually, your destiny will be determined by the consequences of your rebellion
On the other hand, if you consistently think kind thoughts, you will carry out kind acts, eventually become a kind person in character, and eventually, your destiny will be determined by the fruit of your kindness.
In essence, your destiny is headed in the direction of your thoughts. It is essential that we get insight and revelation to this truth, and to understand why Satan fights us at the level of our thoughts. When you sense that your life is not going in the direction where you do not want, check your thinking pattern and your outlook over a certain situation or person.
The Word of God says here that to be carnally minded is death, - when your outlook and your motivation is all about you- yourself, your needs, and when you are self-willed, it leads to death, but when your thoughts are yielded to the Spirit of God, it brings life and peace.
I always wondered why we had to yield our thoughts to the thoughts of the Spirit of God when God created us with our own will until I realized that man was never meant to be a self-willed personality independent from his maker. We were not made that way. The Bible said of Adam (mankind) that when God molded him out of the earth, He (God) breathed His breath (Spirit) in man and he became a living soul. We are living by God’s Spirit. We are to use our intellect and our thinking faculties, we need them to survive, but never without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I am sure you can identify with me that some people may be the smartest and richest and most beautiful but they still lack the life and peace that the Word of God is talking about.
Just as what we eat and consume determines our physical bodies, what we feed our mind determines our destinies our destinies, much more so than what we eat and drink. Right thinking therefore is essential to our posterity.
So How do we ensure that our thoughts are in the right direction?
- We must recognize that right thinking is not something we do one off or touch and go, it is a consistent and constant action. The wrong thoughts did not come in one day, and building a life of right thinking will also not happen in a day
- We must also recognize that we cannot think the way God wants us to think without God’s help. We cannot overcome wrong thinking by self-motivation or determination alone. We have to trust in the Holy Spirit to help us to develop a right thinking pattern. It takes a lot of determination to trust the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us to develop the right thinking pattern. It is not my might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God ( Zechariah 4:6)
- Change what you feed your mind: I am sure you have heard of the phrase Garbage in, garbage out used often in software. It’s the same with life and destiny. It is what you feed your mind that determines your motivation and outlook. Spending quality time in prayer and the Word of God will constantly help you in renewing your mind
- Most importantly, obeying the instructions of the Holy Spirit as He prompts you to take certain actions (or not to take them). When you begin to work with the Holy Spirit to redirect your thought life, there are certain strongholds that can only be pulled down by simple obedience. Let me warn you, it will not be palatable to your flesh (your ego, your feelings, your will) , but consistent obedience to the instructions of the Holy Spirit is one of the most effective ways of pulling down the strongholds of your mind , bringing you life and peace, and repositioning you to His original intent and purpose in your life.