Keep your minds set

​By Saron Tadesse (WITHIN Devotional Writer) 

These past few weeks, I have been more stressed than usual about the future. My mind would wonder about what could happen or how things would work out. This was not the first time that I was faced with uncertainty in my life, so I could not make sense why my mind would not let go of the worry and stress. The pandemic showed me more than anything that I am not really in control of my own life as much as I thought I was. I thought I learned the lesson of surrendering my future in God’s hands, but why was I still dealing with these kinds of thoughts?
 
I like the Amplified version of Colossians 3:2. It reads, “Set your minds and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]”.
 
See, it is not enough to just set our minds on the things above once. What is set can easily be displaced. It is not enough to just clean our house once. We have to continually and habitually clean it if we want a neat house. It is not enough to just water a plant once, we have to continually and habitually water it so that it can blossom into its most beautiful form. In the same way, we have to continually meditate on God’s word and habitually set our minds on the things above if we want our lives to be fruitful.
 
I used to think that if I learned a lesson on something, I would not face a temptation in that area. However, that is far from the truth. As long as we live on this earth, we are constantly faced with temptations and struggles. That is why it is important to set our minds and keep them set on God’s word and the things above so that we can fight and conquer the temptations we face daily.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 
Passages to read/memorize/meditate:
Colossians 3:2
Philippians 4:8
Psalms 119:6
2 Corinthians 4:18
Is 26: 3

Questions to Reflect on:

1. What has been on your mind lately? Do your thoughts reflect your trust in God or worries of the present day?
2. How do you normally deal with unwanted thoughts? Do you entertain them or replace them with the word of God?