Image from bible.com
Watch devo: https://bit.ly/4sJ4aNu
Hear devo: https://bit.ly/4bMVlMT
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. (Romans 8:6-11 NRSV)
My Dad many a time had to ask me, "Where's your mind, boy?" It was a great question most times, but sometimes my mind was not where it should have been. Many times my Dad asked me that question after I had messed up more than one time, like getting a flat head screwdriver when he had specifically asked for a Phillips head. And Paul, writing this passage to the people of the world's capital city of the time, new the power of the mind and the way our thoughts can shape us positively or ruin us completely. It was in 1902 that James Allen wrote a book called "As a Man Thinketh" based on the passage from Proverbs for Mr. Allen built the book around the same core idea found in that verse: that a person’s inner thoughts shape their character, actions, and ultimately their life. The biblical proverb emphasizes the link between inward thinking and outward being, and Allen expands this into a full philosophy of personal responsibility and mental discipline. It would be in 1952 (a wonderful year by the way!) that The Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale would publish his best-selling book, "The Power of Positive Thinking" that helped many people live better lives and made Dr. Peale a wealthy preacher! And the book invited many to poke fun by using the title of their book to justify their drinking, as in The Power of Positive Drinking! Two musicians, Lou Reed in 1980 and Chris Janson had songs by that name.
What Paul is addressing is a serious issue; as we live our lives as believers, have we truly committed ourselves to live lives based on the things of God or are we still living grave clothes, thinking on earthly themes and concerns. And the vast separation in Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus, is the same separation between those who set their minds on the flesh, for they are headed towards death; and those who set their mind on the Spirit, for their's is the gift of life and peace. The mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God; it rejects all things God, especially the Commandments and the law; and submission to God's law is not even possible. They will never be able to please God. Those whose minds are on the Spirit; know this; the Spirit lives in you and you belong to God; Christ is in you and your life is now righteousness. Paul knows that "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." Bam!
Friends, know this; Resurrection power is at work in you. Not just someday when you die. Right now. Today. The Spirit is giving life to your mortal body—the body that gets tired, that feels pain, that carries stress and worry and fear.
So why don't we experience more of this life and peace Paul describes? Often, it's because while the Spirit dwells in us, we're still setting our minds on the flesh. We're focused on our circumstances instead of God's presence. On our limitations instead of the Spirit's power. On what we lack instead of what we've been given.
The truth is that where we set our mind determines the quality of our life. And this can start today if you're not already enjoying this. And here's how:
Setting your mind on the Spirit means:
Beginning your day remembering: "The Spirit of God dwells in me"
Turning anxious thoughts into prayers of trust
Looking for evidence of God's presence in ordinary moments
Choosing truth over feelings when feelings lie
Surrendering control instead of grasping for it
This isn't denying reality or practicing spiritual bypassing. It's recognizing a deeper reality—that the Spirit who raised Jesus from death is alive and active in you.
And when you set your mind there, something shifts. The same circumstances that produced anxiety yesterday can become opportunities for trust today. The same challenges that felt overwhelming can become places where you experience God's strength.
Life and peace aren't something you manufacture. They're what flows naturally when your mind is set on the Spirit who already dwells in you.
The question isn't whether the Spirit is present. The question is: where is your mind?
PRAYER: Loving God, for those who have loved us enough to ask where our minds are, we give you thanks. If we have ever asked that of our children we pray they know the love behind our question. And for Paul's asking us this question through Your word, we are also thankful, and we pray that we might answer that our minds are set on You, now, tomorrow, and forever; for in You, loving Father, we can find hope and peace. And we pray this in faith in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Choose one recurring anxious thought you have. This week, every time it surfaces, pause and say aloud: "The Spirit of God dwells in me." Then ask the Spirit to give you His perspective on that concern.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God, and you matter to me! No matter what others, including parents, may have said negatively about you, hear this: You are a person of solid worth. Think on that and let that guide you always!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
