I was never a Boy Scout, but I was a Cub Scout. One of the skills I learned was how to use and read a compass. We were taught to find true north and determine from there where we needed to go. I got to do an exercise like this with my boys a couple of years ago, and it reminded me of when I learned. The compass can be a metaphor for those things that guide our lives. What is your compass?
Romans 8:5
“For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit.”
The Battle Rages
For the Christian, there are two compasses that we can live by, the flesh and the Spirit. If we live by the flesh, it will always lead us to satisfy those desires. If we live by the Spirit, he will lead us to glorify the Lord. We are in a constant battle between the flesh and the Spirit. One day we can stay on the straight and narrow and the next we can be giving in to the cravings our flesh desires.
What is your compass
What is your compass? It is our mind. If we live according to the flesh, our minds will be set on the flesh. If we live according to the Spirit, our mind will be on the things of the Spirit. The battle starts with our thoughts and what we put into our minds. The old adage “Garbage in Garbage out” applies here. What are you feeding your mind on a daily basis? If it is things of the flesh, then we can ask ourselves why we desire to do those things.
Finding True North
Feed your mind the Word of God and your mind will be on the things of the Spirit. Colossians 3:2 tells us to set our minds on the things above. Make sure that your speech is such that it builds others up and glorifies God. When you do these, your mind will be trained to focus on the Spirit. Our goal is to walk in the Spirit on a daily Basis. When we teach our minds our steps follow.