May 24, 2018
Romans 8:1-18 New Living Translation
To be able to choose every day how we will think or emotionally respond to life’s situations is a very liberating thought. If sin is the rejection of the God-life, righteousness is putting God in the center of our lives and learning not to be controlled by everything we see or experience with our thoughts or natural senses. As believers, we are human beings on a faith journey with a God who is Spirit. Our natural inclinations, senses, or mindsets have to be monitored, because our flesh is infected with sin. That monitoring is the work of the Spirit who guides us into all Truth. I am so grateful Jesus cleared the eternal slate recording my sin and every day is a prayerful new beginning for the Spirit to help me make better decisions.
The decision for how we mentally process things is done at an individual level. If I am going to focus on the positive things of God vs. negative sinful things the decision begins with me. Changing certain situations may be impossible, but how you and I approach those things with our thoughts and responses is a free choice of our will. We must make a decision to be led by the Spirit for the glory of God. When we find ourselves experiencing more negative consequences in our lives than positive ones, we need to evaluate our choices by getting in the Word to see what the Spirit has to say to our hearts. A positive life change might be one Spirit-led decision away. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.