2008-03-12 - Otherwise-Minded ~ Part 1

Galatians 5:10, "I have confidence in you, that you will be not otherwise-minded."

I have in mind to look into Spiritual Sloth in this short meditation. Probably almost everyone reading this desires, in some manner or another, to have a vigorous spiritual life with God. Why is it then, that we are often so frail and weak in our implementation of these good principles? I noticed this today, as I set aside some time to do some memory work. I remembered, as I was doing the memory work, that I had to go to the bank, and decided to fill out my bank form. Then I saw a bill that needed to be paid, figured I would pay it - but noticed a charge on it that I didn't think I owed, called the company, got that taken care of, and then went back to my memory work. However, the half-hour I had set aside to do this was now over. Why is this? Why do I think that my experience is not uncommon? Why is it that even with the best of intentions, distractions mingle their way in, and my intentions - good as they are - fly out the window? I would like to look at this matter today, and in Part 2, to look at some solutions.

We are easily otherwise-minded in the things of God. It happens to us all. There are blessed promises in God's Word of growth, even flourishing in faith, but these blessed promises as easily decay as they are breathed in. We find ourselves kept low, and in an undersized spiritual condition, despite our best intentions. Our thriving in Christ is easily discovered to be less than what we would have it to be. It is upon the Christian to acknowledge our sloth in the things of God, and to strive to be taken up more and more into the things that glorify our Lord. To be otherwise-minded in these things is to sadly know the death of our life with God. We have to admit that we easily depart from God. It distresses us, but we foolishly continue in this, and fail to make the needed changes for healing. It is folly. It leads to our restlessness, where we know all too well that we live below our faith. We come short of the knowledge of God and His Word, in our practice. We are all too sure we might have obtained greater blessings and better spiritual delights, had we been more diligent in our spiritual graces. We are all otherwise-minded.

This is our sleepy hypocrisy. We all have it. We are careless about the greatness of our sin, and we miss the pleasures of God that we know are available to us. We can grow a virtual stranger to the things of God, and there is no outside force compelling our inward decomposition. We do it ourselves. We overvalue the things of this world, and undervalue the things of God. Oh, may the Holy Spirit help us to keep our hearts more diligent in the things of God. We do know our sloth, but we also know we desire better things. It would be wise for us to apply to the Spirit for new mercies every morning, superior blessings, and help to improve the advantages we have in Christ.

We cannot enjoy spiritual peace without delighting in the things of the Lord first. Let us seek to let the world melt into nothing, in comparison to how our eyes are fixed upon the putting off of this moldy spiritual mindset. Let us be not otherwise-minded away from the Lord, but rather let us become otherwise-minded away from the world, and unto the things of the Lord.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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