Romans 8
Setting Your Life on the Spirit!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 3.
Who or what influences your heart and mind?
There is an old Cherokee proverb of two wolves fighting. Each wolf represents something within the person: one the evil a person can do and the other the good. Which one wins? The one you feed!
Listen to Paul in Romans 8:5-8, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
God’s wisdom empowers the person’s individual responsibility to choose how to live his or her own life.
Here are three practical tips on how you can do this on a daily basis:
- Choose each day which wolf you will feed. May your first action be a prayer of dedication when you ask the Holy Spirit to superintend your day. Design the beginning of your day to set your mind and heart on God.
- Throughout your day, capture moments to remind yourself of the Spirit’s presence. Use your phone and technology wisely, set up tangible reminders, and find friends who can help.
- Take care of yourself and eat healthy, make time for personal care, and get to bed on time so that you are well rested to start your next day in step. Feeding the Spirit includes taking care of your body; it is the “temple of the Holy Spirit.”
Seize the moment and set your mind and heart on the things of the Spirit throughout your day.