A Mind Focused on the Lord
Our God has called us to be fully engaged in the life of our community. As Christians, we are commissioned to do the work that Jesus did when he walked the earth. We are to show kindness, feed the hungry, provide clothing and shelter to the needy, and be a light of hope in a world that is really spiritually dark sometime.
We are not to hide our heads in the sand when sin is present. We must call sin by name wherever it is found. Yet, even when there is spiritual darkness, the Word of God encourages us to keep our mind focused on him when bombarded by those values which contradict his teachings.
How can we keep our mind focused on the Lord when we cannot control the external sin laten narratives? I’m glad you asked that question. The answer can be found in the story of Jonah.
Jonah eventually followed the instructions given by the Lord, and the citizens of Nineveh, upon hearing the preached word, focused their minds on the Lord. They dropped what they were doing.
They stopped doing those things that were sinful and ungodly, but the citizens of Nineveh went further. They called on God earnestly and forcefully! They decided not to hold on to tradition. They repented and followed after the way of the Lord as preached by Jonah. Using biblical teachings, the following steps can be used to be more focused on the Lord:
1. Don’t go with the flow, Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world (any longer with its superficial values and customs), but be transformed and progressively changed (as you mature spiritually) by the renewing of your mind (focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes), so that you may prove (for yourselves) what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His plan and purpose for you),” Amplified Bible.
2. Choose your friends and heroes, Proverbs 24:1-2: “Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; For their minds plot violence, And their lips talk of trouble (for the innocent).”
Here is what we should do: Proverbs 34:3, “Through (skillful and godly) wisdom a house (a life, a home, a family) is built, and by understanding it is established (on a sound and good foundation). (In your study time, please read Proverbs 24:3-8.)
3. Keep the Faith, Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast (that is, committed and focused on You in both inclination and character), Because he trusts and takes refuge in You (with hope and confident expectation).”
God’s children will look for guidance in every area of life. We must, with every fiber of our being, put ourselves under the guidance of God.
Isaiah 26:4 says, “Let us make ourselves easy by trusting in the Lord forever.” It is a trust built on big faith, that no matter what is going on, we choose to believe God.
Your faith is based on the Word of God. Acts 7: Stephen told the religious group about themselves. “They were cut to the heart, and began grinding their teeth (in rage) … but Stephen kept on talking and the more they persecuted him the more he looked to heaven. Finally, in Acts 7:56, Stephen cried out, “Look! I see the heavens opened up (in welcome) and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
It is helpful to remember that the Bible is more than a collection of stories. The Bible is filled with instructions for living a faith-based life that focuses on the Lord and how to treat those around us.
Some scriptures that are really encouraging us to live a life focused on the Lord are Ephesians 4:23-24, taken from the Amplified Bible: “And be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude), And put on the new self (the regenerated and renewed nature), created in God’s image, (godlike) in the righteousness and holiness of the truth (living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation).”
