Photo by Eradio Valverde of the mill at San José Mission, San Antonio, TX
The Alternative is Close to Death
We read in Romans 8: 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
"Obsession with self" is the way The Message version of the Bible begins this text, and that's a good way to interpret this text. To be completely self-centered and self-serving does no one any good, and many times not even ourselves. There is more beyond ourselves, starting with the things of God, on these things think. Paul's instructions to the believers in Rome bless believers all over the world; a life lived centered only on one's self serves no good purpose. Our lives as believers should be centered on Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul knows, as should you and I, that a mind set on ourselves is hostile to God; it will seek only those things that bless the self, not God. There is hostility in that mind towards God. God's way is a way of serving and caring for others. God's way is a way of peace. God's way is a way led by the Spirit. And as Paul knows, believers should have the Spirit of God dwelling in us.
It's our choice and decision and it should be our prayer life, to seek to live as God intended and we will have a life of peace. (See my post at http://lentenjourney40words.blogspot.com/2014/04/lenten-word-25-peace.html for a discussion on peace). This peace comes from the God "who raised Christ from the dead" and God "will give life to (our) mortal bodies through His Spirit that dwells in (us)." (v. 11).
We know a better way to live.
PRAYER: God of life and peace, grant to us the direction that leads to this life of peace. Remove from our minds any hostility that may be there against You or Yours. Help me to bless others. This is my prayer, in Christ Jesus, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
