Sunday, March 18, 2012

Life and Peace!

All weekend, I remember this passage of scripture in the book of Romans:  "The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

Oh, how I want that life and peace!  Right now!  Every day!  

To control means to maintain authority or influence over.  How can I ensure that the Spirit of God continues to maintain authority and influence over my mind?  I commit myself afresh to the things that feed my soul: the intake of scripture, prayer, worship, solitude, journaling.  And I remember that I ask by faith--not by self-effort--for God's Spirit to control my life.

Right now!  Every day!  

If I feel that old darkness coming on, I ask for my mind to be controlled by the Spirit. 

The Message creates this version of Romans 8:6: "Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life."

How true it is. I walk about my house repeating the truth:  The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. 

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Have you experienced a mind controlled by the Spirit vs. the sinful mind?

2 comments:

Amy @ themessymiddle said...

How appropriate that this comes so closely to Romans 7 and Paul's bemoaning that he doens't do the things he wants and the things he wants to do, he doesn't do. Me too. Me too! I wrote about something similar this weekend in "You in the fitness: not you native tongue." (http://wp.me/p1Ut5W-b1)

Barbara Thayer said...

This verse is such a blessing Heather!  A good one to meditate on and when I walk by the Spirit and quit putting the emphasis on "ME", I do feel peace and enjoy life much more!  Thank you for sharing this precious gem!