Setting Our Minds on God
Following Jesus means setting our minds on things of God and not on the things of man. He said it to Peter in Matthew 16:23, right after Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This confession by Peter has become the confession of all who follow Christ even until now. I suspect that if you are reading this devotional, there was a time when you said the same confession in front of witnesses. It is a powerful confession.
After Peter declared this marvelous truth, Jesus told Peter and the other disciples that he would soon go to Jerusalem and suffer many things by the elders, the scribes, and even by the chief priests. I am sure the disciples wondered how it was possible that those who knew the Old Testament so well and who had long awaited the Messiah would torture and even have the Son of God crucified. For some reason, it wasn’t that comforting that Jesus said he would rise from the dead on the third day after his death. Peter was so upset that he told Jesus that such a horrific thing would not happen. The implication was likely that Peter would make sure it didn’t happen.
At that moment Jesus rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me, satan! You are a hindrance to me.” Peter was probably both shocked, embarrassed, and confused. Just moments earlier he had been praised by Jesus for his confession and even told he would be a central figure in advancing the kingdom of God. And within minutes, Jesus told him his words were those of the enemy’s. How can someone who had it so right suddenly have it so wrong? I suspect it happens whenever we set our minds on things of the world instead of the things of God.
It was just a few chapters earlier in Matthew’s narrative that Jesus said some other hard words:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
This left the disciples contemplating the cost of following Jesus. And just after Jesus had corrected Peter, he once again told the disciples that all who chose to follow him would have to deny self, take up their cross, and follow him. It was a call to set their minds, their desires, and their will on the things of God and not on the things that we can’t seem to stop chasing and focusing on in our current moment.
Jesus asked a good question and one we must answer: “What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul? What would a man give in return for his soul?” Jesus gave his life for our souls to be redeemed. Yet, we repeatedly seem willing to set our souls to the side as we accumulate stuff and status, thinking that one day we will have enough of each and then go back to focusing on the things above. The scripture is clear. It simply won’t work that way. Jesus offered one pathway to salvation.
Father, today we confess that we constantly drift toward the things of this world. Our eyes and minds wander to what we can possess here versus what is ours eternally because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Thank you for your word that reminds us of the price of our forgiveness. Holy Spirit, direct our thoughts, that our minds and hearts would today be focused on Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 10:37-39, 16:13-28; Colossians 3:1-4 ESV
Photo by Pexels
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
