Romans 8:5-6 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. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Some people have difficulty riding a bicycle.They seem to crash into things. That is usually because they can’t help but to look at those things, and the things you look at on the bicycle are the things to which you will ride. The same is true for skating and rollerblading, skying and snowboarding.
Wo shy is it that the places we look are the places we go? You see it when people are texting and driving. Their eyes keep dating between their phones and the road ahead. They drive like they are drunk, weaving back and forth in the lane. They go slowly and then suddenly speed up. They are split.
One of the habits of successful people is to keep their goals always before their eyes. They focus on the goals. Everything that doesn’t lead to their advancement toward the goal drops away. The goal becomes a filter. It prioritizes all of life. Only those things that support the goal stay at the top of the list.
We as human beings when we focus. As someone who has struggled with ADHD all their lives, focus can be very difficult. My mind wanders at an astonishing rate. I float from topic to topic constantly. It is like my mind lives on brainstorming on every topic at the same time. But when I focus, I can accomplish so much. So it is in the spiritual realm.
Paul in our text contrasts two places our minds can focus. We can either focus on what our flesh wants or on what the Spirit wants. And whichever one we focus on, that is the one we will move toward.
We have a choice about where our minds focus. They might veer off in a different direction for a moment, but we can bring it back. If we allow our minds to veer too often, then we miss out on the fruit of following the Spirit. And that fruit includes life and peace.
And in a world of death and turmoil, both externally and internally, life and peace is what we need. Depression is at an all time high. Life and peace is available. So much of depression has to do with our body’s reaction to past events and a coping mechanism that helped us back then, but now has become dysfunction. Different times and circumstances demand different coping mechanisms.
I want to encourage you today to shift your focus off the things that are disturbing you, robbing you of life and peace. Instead, place your thoughts on the things of the LORD and how to please Him. Life and peace will be the fruit.
The Arnold Journey 