When I first read today’s verse, apart from its surrounding verses, I thought it meant that “the flesh” thinks about death a lot. The mindset of the flesh is death… The flesh means the part of me that is fallen and human and without God, the rebellious, physical, and carnal part of me. Perhaps it’s true that this part of me does preoccupy with death because without God, death will be the absolute end of me, and that’s an unsettling thought. However, I don’t think that’s Paul’s intended meaning here. I think he meant that the mindset of the flesh leads to death. Without God, my flesh is a bunch of cravings and needs. My mindset is all about seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Now, I might not seem as bad as that sounds. I can still do some pretty good things, some selfless-seeming things, from the “flesh mindset”, but ultimately my purpose in doing them is to make myself feel better in some way or to make the world better so that I can benefit from that. This sounds pretty cynical. But I think this is what Paul is saying. Only with God’s Spirit can I have a different mindset, one that is not self-serving. A mindset that leads to life and peace instead of judgment and death. This is the mindset of love. How could I have a mindset of love without God? God IS love after all. Can someone who doesn’t know God actually love? The Bible says no. The Bible is clear about this. Someone who does things from the flesh mindset, someone who doesn’t accept Jesus, cannot please God. Of course it’s also true that followers of Jesus can do fleshy, selfish things, things that do not please God—and frequently do! My flesh is still here after I’ve accepted Jesus. But His Spirit is here as well. Today’s verse is pointing out that both are present in me. I have a choice of who to listen to. Every time I do something, say something, don’t do something, don’t say something, I should contemplate where my motivation is coming from. Is it my physical self, my flesh mindset? Or is it God’s Spirit in me?
Dear God,
Thank you for sending your Spirit to live in me. Please forgive me for the (many) times I have ignored His guidance and have listened to my cravings, my insecurities and selfishness instead. Speak loudly and clearly, and open my ears to hear your voice. Give me the strength to ignore the cries of my flesh and to obey your wise way of life and peace.
CamDevo 