The apostle Paul’s writings are peppered with instructions for setting our minds on the right things. As we consider our workday, it’s always helpful to start and end with a Spirit-filled mind:
- “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).
- “Think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).
- “Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).
My favorite mind-cleanse is to meditate on Romans 8:5:
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
From the moment I complete my morning plan for the day, I know there will be a battle in my mind to remain focused on the things of the Spirit. It’s one thing to “set” my mind on the things of the Spirit but quite another to keep it there.
Texts, email and meetings seem to usher in opportunities to think according to the flesh. But in those moments when my mind is truly “set on the things of the Spirit,” peace and joy are the reward.
The next time offense visits your mind, think on these things.
