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.
~Romans 8:5-6
What is your mind set on—the things of this world or the things of God? Are you constantly pursuing the next dollar, promotion, or feel-good activity? Is the culture driving what you watch, how you interact on social media, and your water-cooler conversations? Or do you follow the directives found in God’s Word, from the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:2-7) to the Greatest Commandment (Matt 22:36-40)? Are you, as the Apostle Paul exhorts, keeping your mind on what is true, right, pure, and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8)?
How we answer these questions is crucial. Not just in determining our level of peace and contentment in this life, but also in deciding our eternal reality.
Let me start with a story. I once heard about a man who was visiting Israel when he came upon sheep being herded across a pasture. The man asked his friend, “I thought shepherds led sheep, yet these are being driven.” The guide responded, “Oh, that’s not the shepherd. That’s the butcher.”
This is a perfect analogy for Christians. The Lord carries us and gently leads us (Isaiah 40:11), He leads us beside still waters of refreshment (Psalm 23:1-6), and He laid down His life for us (John 10:11-17). Once saved by grace through faith in Jesus, we are not left on our own to navigate our new life in Christ—to wander through this evil world whose god is the enemy of our soul. We are given the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us. He gives us wisdom and counsel, and He convicts us when redirection is needed.
But friend, we have a choice. We can ignore this gentle guidance. Instead, we can think, speak, and live as the rest of the world does—driven by the lusts of the flesh and eyes, along with the pride of life. Although we each are made a new creation at salvation (2 Cor 5:17), complete transformation is a lifelong process until ultimate perfection when we see Jesus face to face (2 Cor 3:18). This process (“sanctification”) requires that we constantly renew our minds (Rom 12:2) and not conform to the world’s quest to satisfy selfish desires of the flesh—things like sexual impurity, jealousy, fits of rage, ambition, drunkenness, and putting anything before God (Gal 5:13-21).
See, Satan (who is very real, by the way) hates you. He follows behind you, nudging you on with promises of fulfillment and selfish gratification. But he’s really only driving you toward your very earthly—and eternal—destruction.
Friend, it’s a real battle. We can be led by the Spirit or driven by the world. We can either give in to pride and the want for pleasures, or we can surrender to the Good Shepherd who loves us, giving up our old ways and giving Him our burdens.
So, who will you choose today—the Shepherd or the butcher?
“Lord, You have given us all we need to live this life for You—the Holy Spirit in us! May we yield to Him with every thought, word, and action.”
encouraged by grace 