Chose Life

I woke up this morning with some thoughts storming through my head, and I knew I had to share them with you via this blog post. 

Romans 8:6 reads, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

What does it mean to be carnally minded? The word "carnal," which few people use today in common conversation, refers to our "flesh," or, our inherent nature which is self-willed and opposes God. 

On the other hand, to be spiritually minded means to be given to God and to strive to implement into our lives the qualities of His Kingdom. 

The results of the two pursuits is clear. 
To be carnally minded = death. 
To be spiritually minded = life and peace. 

Because most sane people want life and peace instead of death, you would think that most people would do what it takes to obtain life and peace: Be spiritually minded. But that is not the case. Most people, sadly, some Christians included, are not as spiritually minded, or as God conscious, as they should be. 

When we do carnal things, we can expect carnal results. When we do spiritual things, we can expect spiritual results. What kind of things are you doing? What kind of things are you allowing your mind to think about? What are you really passionate about? In your free time, what kind of activities do you involve yourself in? 

If I want to go to New York City, I don't drive toward San Francisco. If I want to lose weight, I don't eat 10 Snickers bars a day. If I want to grow a garden, I don't sit in the house just looking at the untilled soil. 

Get the point? If we want to be spiritual, we have to do spiritual things. It just makes common sense. We can't expect to be spiritual if our conversation, thoughts and activities are carnal. I am not talking about going to work, helping kids with their homework, taking the dog for a walk, or going to the mountains for vacation. These are things that are just part of life. 

Being carnally minded means to set our focus upon carnal things. This could mean excessive TV viewing (the vast majority of which will not make us more spiritual, but more carnal), viewing content online that is unwholesome and unnecessary, stewing on occasions when we have been offended, justifying ungodly mindsets, and allowing non-biblical language and behavior to linger in our lives.  

If we want to be spiritual, then we must do spiritual things, such as pray, fast, and develop the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. These disciplines might not sound like much fun, but they pay off great dividends. 

Will we sometimes make the wrong choices? Yes. Will we sometimes say the wrong things? Yes. Will we sometimes give in to temptation? Yes. We will not always make the right choices, but the point is that when we are spiritually minded, rather than carnally minded, we are headed in the right direction. We might get distracted and derailed for a short amount of time, but we confess our wrong to God, receive His forgiveness, and get back on track. This is a lot different than being carnally minded, which is a commitment to doing the wrong things most of the time. 

I never cease to be amazed when Christians get upset at someone who encourages them to do things that will cause life rather than death. Their lives have become so carnal that they resent someone pointing out that carnal behavior patterns need to be replaced with spiritual ones. In the case of this blog post, I am simply expounding on the Bible. I did not make up the verse, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." You too might get resistance if you even quote such a Scripture because some Christians view it as a personal attack, rather than an encouragement to break down every carnal wall that keeps us from interacting with God without interference. 

If you desire to be spiritually minded, don't let pressure from anyone keep you from it. It is God's design that we live pure lives, regardless of the opinion of the world that thinks we are inhibited and antiquated. The results of our lives versus theirs speak for themselves. How many carnally minded people do you know that have true life and peace? Sure, they might have superficial happiness, but that is not the kind of deep, always abiding life and peace Romans 8:6 is talking about.

Trust me, God-centered spirituality is worth pursuing. It is the way we were designed to live. You don't have to feel apologetic or inferior if you want to become more spiritually minded. Don't let anyone discourage you from living a pure life that pleases God. God loves you and wants the best for your life. 

Go ahead. Choose life.