Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
1 John 3 says,
We know Jesus lives in us
by the Spirit he gave us (v. 24).
Is that how you know Jesus lives in you? Because you recognize his presence in your inner life?
A wise lady once said to me, “Do you believe that Jesus lives in you?” “Yes,” I replied, “I do.” “Then shouldn’t you begin an inward journey to find and meet with him there?” she asked. That kind of blew my mind. I’d never thought of it that way.
In the town where I grew up, a retired U.S. army man umpired softball. Short, broad, and loud, he looked fierce in face mask, chest protector, and shin pads. He sometimes led singing in the church I attended. His favorite hymns? Onward Christian Soldiers, of course. And Sound the Battle Cry. The army was in his blood, and his Christian life was filled with metaphors of war.
In those years, I kept my troubles to myself. But if I had wanted to confide in someone, I wouldn’t have chosen Army Man. Partly because his spirit, his inner life, was so different from mine. And I think his Christian spirit was mixed with his warrior spirit in a way that frightened me.
Like Army Man, we all have a mixed spirit. Paul tells us to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit (2 Cor 7:1). In the battle against evil, we need to start by cleaning up our own spirit.
Paul tells us to be made new in the spirit of our mind (Eph 4:23). It’s not just incorrect thinking we need to cure, but the deeper attitudes and assumptions that influence our thinking. We need a change in the spirit of our mind.
Early in my Christian life, I thought the main problem was behavior. I just needed to get my actions right. I soon discovered that behavior management was rather difficult. Perhaps even impossible.
So I read some Christian books that said behavior comes from the way I think. More and better Bible study, and a better program for meditating should fix my thinking. But it didn’t.
Now Paul tells me I need to clean up my spirit. What tools might help with this project?
Let’s pray.
Our father, once I thought the gospel was the good news of behavior management. But my behavior is still unmanaged.
I thought I could transform my mind by meditating on your word, but my mind is still unreformed.
And now I discover I need a new spirit. Teach me to know my spirit and your Spirit. Cleanse me from all filthiness of body and spirit. Renew me in my spirit and in the spirit of my mind.
Teach me to know that you live in me by the Spirit you have given me (1 John 3:24).
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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