It Starts Small

We make our lives complicated. This verse expresses and explains the simplicity of God. All of God’s principles and expectations are simple, but we like to “human” things up as I say. We complicate and nit pick, pick apart everything God has to say and respond… but God?!?

Paul lays it out as simple as there are two paths. There are two directions in life. They do not go in the same direction and there is no medium between the two paths. Paul says there is the path of the flesh which is selfish sinful wants and desires and then there is the path of living by God’s Spirit. Those those who are in Christ live by the Spirit. 

Paul says set your minds. In Philippians 4, he tells us exactly what to set our minds upon.

⁸ Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. ⁹ Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

The greatest difference of living in the flesh and the Spirit is what we set our minds on. Are our minds focused on ourselves or are our minds focused on the things of God? A focus on our sinful, selfish desires (the flesh) leads to death. A mind focused on the Spirit leads to life and peace. This is often called the law of the Spirit of life. 

Paul is showing us we did not just change our status from “death” to ”life.” God does not intent our lives to be a status update. We literally changed roads. We were walking straight towards death, and turned around to walk towards life. The idea, Paul says, is to keep walking on the path to life, yet so many of us are still dwindling and dawdling on the road to death. 

How do we get off this road?

You don’t get off the path, you turn around. We do not get off the path. You walk to or from God. To keep going in His direction, we keep our minds focused on the Spirit’s things because that’s the way we’re going. That’s who we are now. We have left the death-way behind.

God knows we are not perfect. We are going to go through seasons walking away from Him and season walking towards Him. This is why we understand His mercy and the depth, width and height of it! We can not completely wrap our minds around a God who loves us so much that He gives us mercy and wraps us in grace. You might be 20 years the wrong direction, but God still loves you and desires to fill your life with fullness and abundance.

But.

You have to turn around and walk His direction.

Everyday is a new day and opportunity to intentionally walk His way.