Dwight Fletcher | Focus your mind

LAST WEEK, we spoke about our hearts being in the right place as we face these difficult times. The Bible also gives us instructions about our minds. Colossians 3:2 (NIV) says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” This is telling us that as we live our lives, heavenly things and godly knowledge are to be our focus. We are to think on them, study them from the Bible, and make them our priority.

Earthly things aren’t necessarily evil. Some of them are, but not all. It becomes evil when we become focused on earthly things. We’re living here on earth, but our minds should constantly be on eternity; constantly thinking about God, and the things of God, rather than the things of the earth. This fortifies our mind against false doctrines, false teachings, and false believing. “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons” (1 Timothy 4:1 NLT). The danger of our times is that the doctrine and teaching of demons are very widespread. It’s therefore incumbent on us to fill our minds with correct teaching, so that we’re not deceived.

We have, for example, heard of situations (even here in Jamaica), where persons call themselves God, or Jesus, who has returned. If we read the Bible, we would recognise immediately that it isn’t so. In Luke 21:8 (NLT), Jesus told us, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them ….”. And He told us in Acts 1:11 how He would return. We need to take time to focus on gaining biblical knowledge, so that we will be able to discern errors. There are also reports of believers who have retreated into the hills to await the rapture. They’ve isolated themselves from the rest of society. The Bible doesn’t tell us to do that. We are already saved, and the Bible tells us that we are the hope of the world. As the rapture gets closer, we’re to tell more people the good news of Jesus Christ.

An unfocused or wrongly focused mind is vulnerable and weak, and it compromises our dedication to God, as well as makes us vulnerable to deception. If we don’t read our Bible, we aren’t going to survive.

“It’s been said that some people are so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good. But the greater danger is you can be so earthly-minded that you are no heavenly good.” – Ray Fowler.

When we set your minds on things above, it will revolutionise our thinking. 1 Corinthians 2:10 tells us that the Holy Spirit is on the inside us helping us. We are no longer ordinary people; we are Holy Spirit-empowered people. We will think good, right and worthy thoughts, instead of focusing on the garbage that we put up with here on earth.

The Holy Spirit will also help us to view people around us differently. We will begin to see situations and life through the lens of God; our lives will change, and we will begin to help others out of the flow of God through our lives. “… This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1 John 2:17 NLT).

While we live in the world, our desire for God needs to supersede our desire for the things of the world. If not, you are in trouble.