Most Loving Lord, You have explained that to be carnally minded leads to eternal death, but to be spiritually minded leads to a life of peace and love. This is so because the carnal mind is at odds with You and Your ways. The main reason for the rift with You is because the carnal mind seeks its own and does not submit to Your leadership … nor can it. Therefore, those who choose to live after their flesh become enemies of Yours because they want nothing to do with You. For whoever seeks to please their flesh reaps destruction, but those who follow the leading of the Spirit reap everlasting life and a life filled with blessings. To be friends with the world is to be an enemy of Yours. The problem inherent with a carnal mind is that it seeks to please itself, but that only leads them to folly and disasters. For the works of the flesh have nothing to do with You and only leads to shame, emptiness and failure.
If I set my affections on earthly things, I choose them over You. In order to please You, I must flee from selfish desires and, instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love of others, peace with all to show You what is truly in my heart. To connect with You, I must avoid becoming a lover of self, a lover of money, a boaster, unappreciative, acting shamefully, lacking self-control and despising those who do good. You are repulsed by those who demonstrate a form of godliness, but on the inside are white washed sepulchers. I must take special care to be selective of what goes into my mind because the ways of the world and the deceptions of my enemy lead me into captivity and away from You. I must also take care not to fall into the trap of more learning that’s promoted by the world and, instead, seek to discern what is true. A mind filled with You and Your Word leads me to truth.
You admonish me to not become attached to the world or the things of this world. If anyone loves the world, there is no place for You … because a man cannot serve two masters. For the things of the world seek to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, their status among men, power, riches and the like. I must never forget that the world will pass away and everything in it, but You and my eternal home will last forever. This is why I offer myself to You as a living sacrifice … foregoing the offerings of the world. I strive to by-pass the offerings of the world in order to allow myself to be changed by You. In changing, I will demonstrate your goodness and become an example for the world. I gladly dedicate myself to loving You and giving You my service. In submission to Your guidance, I pledge to fix my mind on the things above and not on those of the earth. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Philippians 4:8 Brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report … think on these things.