A popular Christian song by Tal
& Acacia has the lyrics “Garbage in, garbage out; what you do is found out.
All can see what goes in me, I pay the price.” This song has more truth in it,
though, than the artist probably realized when she was initially writing it.
This is because of a principle talked about in several places in the Bible,
including in Romans 8:5-6, where is says, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their
minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful
man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”
Living
by the Spirit is what brings life and living by the fleshly desires of our old
human nature causes death. If you’re dead, how are you supposed to respond to
the calling God has placed on your life? In reality, you can’t. The only way
for you to pursue God’s calling for your life is to be full of His life, and
living by the things of the Spirit. This means that you fully rely on Him as
the center and foundation for you entire existence. But how do we live by the
Spirit? To live according to the Spirit, your mind must always be set – focused
on – the things of the Spirit. Did you
know that what you allow into your spirit is what ultimately controls your
life? You control what controls you! What we give permission to in our lives is
what governs our thoughts, actions and even our ability to respond to God’s
calling! It takes discipline to keep
your mind focused where it should be. You will have to put aside thoughts that
are not of the nature and Spirit of God. However, it does not stop with your
thoughts. The things you fill your mind with influence the patterns of your
thought. God tells us to fill our minds and hearts with the desires of His
heart. How, exactly, does He expect us to do this?
To
fill your mind with the things of the Spirit, you may have to make some changes.
Back off your time watching movies and TV shows that do not glorify God –
anything about sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, and everything else that God has
asked His children not to engage in. Music you listen to should be written and
performed by artists that give all the glory to God for their talents and successes
with uplifting lyrics that glorify Him as well. A good question to ask yourself
would be, “Is what I am watching, listening to, or doing, making God proud? How
would I feel if I could see Him right next to me watching this take place?”
It’s
important to remember, though, that you don’t only have to cut these things
from your life – you have to replace them with something else. That something
else should be the Word of God. When you decrease and eliminate your time in fleshly
things, you should take the time you spent in those things and turn it into God-time.
Spend your time in the Word, prayer, and having your own praise and worship.
Just this little habit change will make a huge impact on your life and your
ability to touch other people’s lives with God’s love!
Matthew Henry
Concise Commentary
Spirit-Filled Life Student Bible
NIV Study Bible
Pastors Mac Hammond and Jim Hammond
