Most of us live by a certain set of mental presuppositions.  We cherish certain values, believe certain foundational truths, and hold certain expectations of the world around us.  We call this our mindset.  Our mindset is the lens through which we interpret reality around us.

A Dangerous Mindset

Mindsets are not necessarily bad things.  They only become bad when we set our minds on the wrong foundations.  “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” So wrote Abraham Maslow in his landmark book The Psychology of Science. Everything cannot be a nail, even if I love hammers.

The Bible mentions three dangerous mindsets.

When Jesus informed His disciples of His imminent death, Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him. But Jesus turned the tables on Peter.  In Mark 8:33, Jesus told Peter that apparently he had set his mind on the things of men instead of the things of God.

Like Peter, we often view life through only our human understanding.  We determine the appropriateness of a thing based on an earthly definition of “appropriate.”

Likewise, in Romans 8:5, Paul contrasts the fleshly – or again, earthly – mindset and the spiritual mindset.  We set our minds according to the flesh when allow our feelings to determine our outlook.  When our natural, physical impulses drive our lives, we are living with a fleshly mindset.

Also, Paul identifies enemies of the cross of Christ as those who have an earthly mindset.  (Philippians 3:18-19) An earthly mindset values most the things of this life.  The earthly mindset defines success and failure in terms of accomplishments and attainments on this side of eternity.

If you are honest with yourself, would you admit that you live by one of these mindsets?

[Tweet “Mindsets…become bad when we set our minds on the wrong foundations.”]

The Biblical Mindset

Paul challenges the Colossian Christians to set their minds on heavenly things. (Colossians 3:2) That Paul challenges them to set their minds proves that we have a choice of how we view life.  We can either seek to live for earthly pleasures, possessions, and plaudits, or we can pursue heaven’s life agenda.

In Colossians 3, Paul challenges us to seek the things above, where Christ is sitting a the Father’s right hand.

1. Seek Christ’s desire. Ask yourself in all situations what Jesus would want you to do. What action or attitude would please Him most and draw attention to Him?
2. Seek Christ’s direction. Ask yourself in all situations how Jesus would want you to act, believe, or think.  What course of action would best advance His purpose and agenda.
3. Seek Christ’s identity. Ask yourself who will get noticed because of your attitudes and actions.  Will people think of Jesus or of you because of your action or attitude?

[Tweet “We have a choice of how we view life.”]

Dressing for Mindset

In verses 5 – 11, Paul lists some actions and attitudes that indicate an earthly mindset.  He challenges us to “put off” these.  Then in verses 12 – 17, he lists some attitudes and actions that indicate a heavenly mindset.  Read both lists and answer the following questions.

Which of the attitudes and actions of the earthly mindset do you observe in your life?

Will you ask God to help you exchange them for attitudes and actions from the heavenly mindset list?

In verse 17, Paul challenges us to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus.  What attitudes and actions in your life would embarrass Jesus to have Him name attached?

What is ONE THING you will seek to change TODAY to be more INTENTIONAL about a heavenly mindset?

Additionally, if you would like more about how your mindset affects your life, you can check out the links below.

“You Are What You Think – Your Key to a Joyful Life”

“Guard Your Heart by Training Your Mind”

“Think About What You Think About” – short video challenge

Every morning while driving my daughter to school, we pass through two major construction zones.  One, a road project, could eventually shorten our commute time to school. The other, a fulfillment center for a major online retailer could provide quicker delivery of items I order online.

While I look forward to potential conveniences these projects promise, they prove quite inconvenient in the here and now.  Every morning includes an obstacle course driving through construction barrels, around dump trucks, and away from reckless drivers.  But, to enjoy the benefits of tomorrow, I must endure the construction of today.

[Tweet “To enjoy the benefits of tomorrow, I must endure the construction of today.”]

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As a diabetic, I am never at a loss for information on what I should eat.  The other day as I read an article about 10 good food for diabetics, I came to a startling realization.

I like the foods I should eat.  Fresh vegetables, fish, lean meats, and beans are among some of my most favorite foods.  My problem is not that I neglect the good foods but that I also indulge in the bad foods.

Because I am a diabetic, I need to do less adding and more subtracting.

[Tweet “Sometimes, we allow habits, attitudes, and relationships that we know are not good for us.”]

Kicking It Up a Notch Spiritually

I see a parallel to my Christian life as well.  We do a lot of good things we are supposed to do but add in some bad stuff as well. We recognize that because of grace, we have some liberties, but we allow our liberties to stifle our spiritual development.

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Just about every house I have lived in has been divided into specific rooms. Before a house is built architects draw a floor plan showing the placement of each specific room.

We sleep in a bedroom.  We take a bath in the bathroom.  The family gathers in the living room for entertainment and fellowship. In the dining room, we eat the food we cooked in the kitchen. And we do our laundry in the laundry room.

Occasionally noise from one room will filter into another room.  Or the aromas from the kitchen will waft through the other rooms in the house.  But for the most part, each room has its own function.  When we leave a room, we usually leave behind the intended function of that room.  For instance, we do not cook in the bathroom or wash clothes in the bedroom.

[Tweet “The greatest tragedy is that we often relegate our faith to its own room.”]

Our Floor Plan for Life

Sadly, we seem to develop a floor plan for our lives as well.  We segment our lives into various responsibilities, pursuits, and activities.  The greatest tragedy is that we often relegate our faith to its own room.

We fail to let our relationship with Jesus affect what we do in our “work room” or “play” room. We enjoy spending a few hours or a day in our “Jesus room,” but we close the door behind us and leave Him in there.

I see a tragic disconnect in the lives of many Christians today.  They come to church on Sunday, smile, sing praises to God, and enjoy the worship.  Then they live the rest of the week by their own standards.

A quick glance at their social media pages reveals language, values, and action they would never engage while sitting in their “Jesus room” on Sunday.  They claim to believe the Bible but do not follow Biblical instruction.

My observation is that as many Christians co-habitate outside of marriage as do those not claiming to follow Jesus.  Christians drink and party with the same worldly “gusto” as non-believers.  Many Christians seem to design a floor plan for their life that includes all the rooms their friends enjoy.

They rationalize their behavior by pointing to the “Jesus room” in their lives.  They feel good about their life because they at least have a room for Him.

[Tweet “Jesus does not want to be an item on your priority list – not even the #1 item.”]

Consider a New Floor Plan

The problem with that kind of thinking is that Jesus does not desire a room in your home.  He wants to be Lord of your home.  Rather than part of the structure, He wants to be the architect and builder.

Jesus does not want to be an item on your priority list – not even the #1 item.  He want to permeate every item on your list.  Notice carefully the highlighted preposition in the verse below.

He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything. – Colossians 1:18

[Tweet “Jesus does not desire a room in your home. He wants to be Lord of your home.”]

Jesus wants to influence everything in our lives.  He doesn’t want a place on the list, but He wants to construct, organize, and empower all that is on the list.  He doesn’t want to be a room in the floor plan of our life, He wants to fill every room with meaning, purpose, and direction.

A Makeover for Your Life’s Floor Plan

Let me challenge you to consider remodeling your life.  Have you fallen into the disconnect pattern of life?  Even though you go to church, say your prayers, and read your Bible, are there areas of life in which you are not living obediently?

Go ahead and clean out the “Jesus room.”  Instead of putting Him in a segment of your life, will you consider how Jesus can enrich and empower every part of your life?

Open the windows and turn on the lights in the rooms of your life that are disobedient to God.  Allow Jesus through the Word of God to put those rooms in order.  I think you will be amazed at how much joy you will get from a life permeated with your relationship with Jesus.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them,
I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house,
who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house
and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man
who built a house on the ground without a foundation.
When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell,
and the ruin of that house was great.” – Luke 6:46-49

I hope your 2018 is off to a productive start.  Technically, January 1 is just another day.  The concept of New Year’s Day is a product of our calendar.  Regardless of that, I LOVE a New Year. And my desirefor 2018 is spiritual growth.

As I have pondered 2018, I asked God to give me ONE Bible passage for my focus in 2018.  He laid Galatians 5:22-23 on my heart.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

This year, I want the Holy Spirit to help me grow in these 9 attributes.  I hope that we all want to see more of the Holy Spirit’s influence through our lives.  When He is at work, we increasingly demonstrate these qualities.

The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Growth

First, notice the the Bible refers to these attributes as the fruit of the Spirit.  That is a reminder that I cannot conjure them on my own.  I can only make myself so loving, patient, faithful, gentle, or any of the qualities. I am limited in my abilities to better myself.

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I’ll admit it. I’m a little spaced out. I’m one of those stargazers. I love going out at night and looking up at the sky to see the display of God’s glory.

I don’t have an official “bucket list.” But if I did, it would include a visit to some of the “dark-sky” parks in Utah and Idaho. From these locations you can see the night sky without the noise of man-made light pollution.

[Tweet “We can be like the Star of Bethlehem and reflect the light of Jesus that is in us.”]

The First Christmas Stargazers

I guess that is why I have always had an affinity for the Magi in the Christmas story. We know very little about them, but one thing we do know is that they were stargazers.

The Bible does not tell us how many of them came, but that they brought three kinds of gifts. From the number of gifts we have assumed there were three. The expensive nature of the gifts indicates they had access to great wealth.

One night they saw something unusual; something they had not noticed before. Looking back through the lens of Biblical revelation, we know that the Holy Spirit enabled them to see it. Whether or not it had always been there or it appeared that night for the first time, only God knows. But there it was…THE Star. We now call it the Star of Bethlehem.

You probably know the narrative well, so I will not recount it here. If you would like to read it in the Bible, you can find it in Matthew 2:1-12. But this year, God has directed my attention to THE STAR.

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