“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
Orthodox Jews actually tie a tefillin (a very small leather box with scripture in it) to their forehead and their hand to remind them of this verse, to remind them of God’s command that His word is to be in our thoughts and in our actions at all times. As a follower of Jesus, this verse takes on a significant new dimension. While it is good and right for God’s word to be in our mind and actions, it is life changing for the “Word” of God, Jesus Christ, to be in our thoughts and actions at all times. To dwell on the written word of God is great. To dwell on the living “Word” of God is nothing short of transformational. It is like comparing dynamite to a firecracker.
God’s Written Word
When we dwell on the written word, we are pondering God’s word, meditating on it, thinking of how it affects us, thinking of what it commands us to do, etc. It is about us, about how we are doing. Are we succeeding or failing? Do we live out the truth in a certain verse? Does it give us joy or peace? Are we successfully applying it to our life? Is it a promise from God? And so on. Typically, it is about us. Are we proud of how we are doing, or are we disappointed in ourselves? Me, me, me. This is what the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day did. It was their view of this command. This view often leads to a self-righteous and prideful life.
The Word Became Flesh
When we dwell on the “Word” of God, Jesus the Messiah, we are pondering God’s Son, meditating on Him, thinking of what He has done for us, how He has set us free from the law of sin and death by his death on the cross, thinking of His resurrection, His ascension into heaven, the miracles He performed, the amazing teaching He gave us, WWJD, etc. It is an enormous difference. The focus of our thoughts is taken off of us, and put rightly on Him. He becomes our focus. We gaze upon Him with our mind’s eye. No longer do we feel like we have failed or fallen short, nor do we have pride over areas of scripture that we have successfully mastered, but rather we are humbled by the knowledge that He has done it all. It is finished. He has kept the law for us. And we are filled with gratitude and are humbled.
A New Way to Live
We are no longer obligated to keep the law out of fear or pride, but rather we can now choose to keep His commands out of love and gratitude for what He has done for us. It is a completely different approach to following God, obeying His word, and keeping His commands. We do it because we want to, not because we have to. Instead of it being a burden and a chore, following God becomes light and joyous when Christ is in our life. Jesus even told us of this when He was here, when He said:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Religion is hard. Only the truly committed can make it, and even many of them fall short. But following Jesus is easy. A five year old can do it. It is for everyone. Jesus, the “Word” of God, took what was the domain of the few committed men willing to carry the load, and opened it up to everyone. Anyone can put God’s Word on their mind now. Amazing.
Our Mindset
Where we set our mind is of great importance to God. This is another critical aspect of this verse. In Romans 8, verses 5 through 8 we read:
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:5-8
In sports, we learn that the ball goes where we look. In motorcycling, we learn that the motorcycle goes where we look. In life, we learn that our life goes where we look. Whatever our mind is set on, that is where we are headed, like it or not. I watch a lot of funny TV shows, like Seinfeld, Home Improvement, Everybody Loves Raymond, Big Bang Theory, etc. Guess what – I am always making jokes. It is like I am a traveling episode of Seinfeld. We become what we watch, what we set our mind on. God is telling us, warning us, that we need to set our minds on Him, on His word, on ‘the Word’ Christ Jesus, so that we have life and peace and our lives go in a good direction. Colossians chapter 3 also speaks to this:
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:1-3
This verse goes even further, encouraging us to not set our minds on anything that is of the earth, but to set our minds on the things above, on heavenly things, because that is where we are citizens now, in Christ. Pretty heady stuff. But you get the message. God says that where we set our minds is of utmost importance. This is the flashing yellow warning light of scripture.
The Steering Wheel of Our Life
God is telling us this because our mindset is the steering wheel of our life. It is the rudder of our ship. Whatever it is set on, that is where our life will go. For this reason God wants us to control what we set our mind on. Notice, this is a command, not a suggestion, nor is it something God does for us or Jesus did for us on the cross. This is something we are to do. It is our responsibility to take control of our thought life. Paul goes so far as to say that we are to take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:5). As followers of Christ, we are not to just let our thoughts wander, and we are certainly not supposed to let them dwell on things that are not good for us.
We do this not because we have to, or because it is a requirement for salvation, but because of gratitude for what Christ has done for us, because we want to live good lives, and we want enjoy life and have peace. We are not saved because of our ability to control our thought life, but rather because we are saved, we want to control our thought life and to steer our life in paths of righteousness rather than paths of sin.
Two Dogs Inside Me Fighting
It is similar to the old Indian proverb about the two dogs fighting inside of the young brave, one good dog and one bad dog. When he asks the chief which dog wins, the young brave is told that it is the one you feed. Because sin is in the world, we have the sin nature in us, and it is like the bad dog of the Indian proverb. But we also have the good dog in us now, the new man, being made into the likeness of Christ. Whichever of the two we feed, that is the one that will direct the course of our life. If we set our mind on God, on His written word, on His living ‘Word’ Jesus Christ, then we are feeding the good dog, and the good dog will drive the course of our life.
There is the story of the boy who had a mean dad. And growing up he told himself that he would never grow up to be mean like his dad is. And his whole life he focused is thoughts on that. Then one day, later in his life, when he was with his children, he did something mean, and he realized he had become his dad after all. It is because he had his eyes on his dad. We go where we look, for good or for bad. If we are focusing on not doing something, guess what, we will probably be doing it eventually. We have to focus on what we want to be, what we want to become. We are to look where we want our life to go. And as a Christian, that means look to Jesus.
Keep Our Eyes on Jesus
What our mind is set on is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life that we are responsible for. Our mindset will determine the course of our life. It is critical that we set our mind on God’s written word, the Bible, but it is even more critical that we set our mind on God’s living ‘Word’, Jesus Christ. By making this subtle yet profound distinction, we take our mind’s focus off of ourselves and how we are doing, and put our focus on Him and what He is doing. This is what it means to set our mind on the things above, rather than on the things of the earth. To set our minds on Him.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Grabbing the Wheel of Your Life
What are some of the things on earth that get your mind’s attention? What are the things that you dwell on when you have free time? What do you daydream about? Where does your mind go when there is nothing going on? What are some of the “things above” that we are commanded to set our mind on? What are some things you can do when you get locked into an earthly mindset? What are some ways you can you break free from it? Which of the two dogs would you say that you are feeding most in your life? What are the things that are feeding it? Where is the dog getting its food? If the good dog is not getting fed, what are some ways you could get more food to the good dog? What are the other things you are focusing on other than focusing on Jesus? What can you do to sharpen your focus on Him?
Lord God almighty, ruler of heaven and earth, we come before you in Jesus name, and ask that you hear our prayer. Help us to set our minds on the things above, and not on the things of the earth. Help us to take our focus off of ourselves, and to focus on You. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Help us to be less concerned with what we are doing, what we are accomplishing, and more concerned about what You are doing and what You are accomplishing. When we get locked into an earthly mindset, bring it to our attention and help us to break out of it. If there are things in our life that are feeding our sin nature, reveal them to us so we can shut them down. Show us how to feed the life of the Son of God in us, that the new man may become fully formed in us. Bring us a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ, that we may better set our minds on Him. Renew our minds and transform us by the power of your spirit through your word, that we may prove what your good, acceptable, and perfect will is. Help us to take control of our thought life, and to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:6-9
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””
1 Peter 1:13-16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
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