People whose lives are determined by human flesh focus their minds on matters to do with the flesh, but people whose lives are determined by the spirit focus their minds on matters to do with the spirit.—Romans 8:5
Brainy Tip: Whatever you focus on the most grows.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t force us to listen to him. As I keep reiterating: we have to choose, on a daily basis, to let him help us and guide us. We have to choose to “focus our minds” on what he is saying, the “matters to do with the spirit,” seeing the world through God’s loving eyes. Love demands great freedom; choice gives us that freedom, yet choice has inescapable consequences.
Remember, whatever we think about the most grows and determines the course of our thoughts, words, and actions—the course of our lives. When we choose with our minds to listen to and follow the Holy Spirit, our lives change for the better as we learn to become more and more like the Messiah, reflecting God’s glory into the world. With the freedom of love comes great responsibility to choose well, which is why we need to listen to the Spirit of God.