Be Mindful Luke

Be Mindful Luke

Spiritual mindedness is an essential aspect of a believer’s life. It can be exceedingly difficult to achieve and maintain. It is especially difficult in this day and age when our attention is diverted to so many other people and pursuits. Abandoning the pursuit of spiritual living is as easy as flipping a light switch really.

We are living in a time determined by many to be the “last days.” It is a ploy of the enemy to divert our attention away from the peril of the hour. He has been quite successful at lulling the masses to sleep with endless attractions to mindlessness. Wake-up calls have come from many different people and places.

The trouble is that the wake-up call is often to superficial life preserving stuff that only diverts our attention in a different direction. This is a wake-up call of another kind – – a wake-up call to a deeper spiritual connection with the Most High. Surviving the difficult times ahead will require a focused, intentional, deep spiritual relationship with the Most High.

Matthew 8:19-22

Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.

 

A number of years ago, I was driving to work one morning and began feeling that life as I was living it, chasing after earthly pursuits and living up to the standard of societal conformity, was not the way God intended for us to live. We are programmed from an early age to believe that chasing after prestige, a better lifestyle, and the best and latest…everything is the purpose of life.

It took a giant leap of faith for me to jump off the merry-go-round of life as I had learned it to be. For many of us that merry-go-round is spinning at break-neck speed, and jumping off seems almost suicidal. For many of us, rather than jumping off the merry-go-round, we attempt to make spiritual life conform to life on this planet instead of conforming our lives to God’s standard and meet him on his terms…in the spirit.

The American lifestyle is a huge distraction from tuning with God on deeply spiritual level. Being spiritually in tune takes time and focus, neither of which can be achieved if we are constantly on the run in pursuit of earthly ambitions. We spend most of our lives working for stuff, status, and luxury.  It is such a ridiculous deception. I mean, how did we fall for this?

The enemy has had a hay day distracting us with earthly pursuits. We get so “blingified” by stuff and a status. We are so busy going places and doing things, keeping up with the Joneses. Many are trying to sanctify this distracted lifestyle and often think God wants to come along with us. Uh, news flash…he is not interested. He already owns the cattle on a thousand hills, streets of gold, and…well, the universe.

Romans 8:5-8

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

We are living in very desperate times. The prophetic time clock is ticking down. If there were ever a time to get spiritually connected and tuned in to the Most High, it is NOW! We need to make a serious faith analysis of our lives.

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

If we are going to make a deep spiritual connection with the Most High, we have to refocus our attention, which will likely mean giving up the pursuit of a better lifestyle. God will provide everything that we need. I submit to you that when we are living spiritually connected, the desire for earthly things wanes away.

Luke 12:32-34

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

I have personally spent the last several years trying to simplify life. I have examined everything from clothes, to electronics and laundry soap to the contents of the refrigerator. We can’t reasonably devote our time and energy to God if we are busy maintaining a lifestyle. You can’t take it with you into eternity, so why not invest your time, money and energy into something more lasting and eternal?

Spend more time seeking to know God and who he really is. Pursuing a deeper spiritual walk with God is so much more fulfilling than any other earthly pursuit, not only here in time and space but more importantly in the life to come in eternity.  Becoming more intentional about weighing the value of our pursuits on the scale of eternity would absolutely revolutionize our lives.  

2 Timothy 2:4

No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

We have so crowded our lives with earthly pursuits that our spirits have withered up and gone to sleep. If we intend to weather the storms that are on the horizon, it is imperative that we lighten the earthly load we are carrying and strengthen our spiritual backs. Trying to wield a sword, carry a shield, and don the armor of God with all the cares of this life in tow is not going to work.

It is not possible. We need to sharpen our swords, take up the shield of faith, cinch up the belt of truth, fasten the breastplate of righteousness, lace up the combat boots of the gospel of peace, put on the helmet of our salvation, and leave the cares of this life behind. Spiritual survival preparedness is what we should be striving for.


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T_Worthy

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
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