“The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”Ro 8:6 NIV

Choose a spiritual, not a carnal mindset. Carnality is at the core of our unregenerate nature, and it lives on in us even after we become Christians. Its gravitational pull is always away from God toward self-centered living. The Bible says, “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (v. 7). The carnal mind makes us suspicious, skeptical, self-promoting, and spiritually blind to God’s will. Being spiritually-minded means centering your choices around God’s Word and the Spirit’s prompting. And the good news is, “You…are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (v. 9 NIV). Giving in to the flesh isn’t inevitable. You get to decide whether the flesh or the Spirit guides you! Peter, in a spiritual mindset, received a revelation of Jesus’ deity. “‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied…‘This was not revealed to you by man [flesh], but by my Father’” (Mt 16:16-17 NIV). Shortly afterward, Jesus confided to His disciples the dreadful means of His death. And in a moment of well-meaning but misguided carnality, Peter refused to accept it. “‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’” (v. 22 NIV). A carnal mindset is an invitation to Satan. So Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but…

“Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”    Pr 3:6 NLT

Nothing matters more than recognizing and walking in God’s will. When you don’t know His will, it can be a real source of insecurity. Knowing you’re walking in His will enables you to rise above the challenges life throws at you. The question is, does God intend us to know His will? If not, why bother searching? Let His Word settle the issue once and for all: “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” There’s no vagueness there! “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Ps 37:23 NLT). God’s will addresses even your smallest concern. So what do you need to discern it? Let’s consider some practical Bible principles:

There’s no room for two wills. If you want God’s will, you must be prepared to surrender your own will. Jesus said, “As I listen to the Father, I make my judgments. My judgments are right because I don’t try to do what I want but what the one who sent me wants” (Jn 5:30 GWT). Wills frequently clash, so there are choices you must make, and maintain, if you want to walk in obedience to God (See Mt 26:39). Begin your search by surrendering your will; then focus your heart and mind on God and His enlightening Word. Once you accept that He is the leader and you are the follower, it’s a lot easier to say, “I delight to do thy will, O…God…thy law is within my heart” (Ps 40:8).

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

God tells us to surrender our lives to Him. This is no small task. All our plans, every desire we feel, each entitlement that once seemed our right—everything is put aside in order to make way for our King’s will. But perhaps you have wondered why God can ask this of us.
The Lord has every right to demand that we give Him our all. First, Scripture teaches us that He is sovereign—the King and Ruler over the entire universe. As a result, we are under His authority, whether we choose to submit or not. Next, through His death and resurrection, Jesus saved us from our sin and its consequences. Therefore, we are indebted to Him more than we could ever repay. And finally, He sustains us; we should consider each breath and heartbeat a gift from Him.
Undoubtedly, God is entitled to ask that we yield our life to Him. At the same time, surrender is in our best interest. The Father promises that following Him leads to hope and an established future. Psalm 31:19 states, “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You . . .” So, while He is the Almighty One with all authority to demand our life, He promises to care for us and to do what will benefit us most.
Are you willing to put yourself aside in order to follow Jesus? His way is best, and it offers hope, joy, and peace. We will not always like everything He chooses at the moment, but He promises to work all things for good. Will you trust God enough to hand the reins over to Him?

4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

Romans 2:4-5

Have you ever ignored the press of conviction upon your heart? Maybe you rationalized your wrongdoing with the thought that if God were really upset, He’d put a stop to things by disciplining you. Psalm 50:21 reminds us that the silence of heaven does not mean approval. Remaining in sin is an abuse of the Lord’s patience.

When God seems slow to react, we might hope He’s overlooking our transgressions–we’d like to continue in sin because the momentary pleasure is more appealing than obedience. But thankfully, the Father knows our weaknesses, our innate carnality, and the state of our spiritual growth, and He therefore measures His response. Motivated by love and a desire to gently restore His children to righteousness, God refrains from doling out immediate punishment. Instead, He waits for the Holy Spirit’s proddings to impact the believer’s heart. The weight of conviction is actually an invitation to turn from wrongdoing and return to godliness.

However, we’re a stubborn people. There are times when we persist in sin because the sentence against an evil deed isn’t executed quickly (Eccl. 8:11). In this dangerous situation, it’s possible to immerse ourselves in sin and harden our hearts against the Lord. Then the Holy Spirit’s call to repentance falls on spiritual ears rapidly going deaf.

As we learn and understand more about God and His ways, we are increasingly responsible to live righteously. The Lord is not slow; He’s patient. Do not abuse His patience with callous disregard for His statutes. Repent and be holy in the sight of the Lord.