The Natural Mind
“But He answered and said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ And they said to Him, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?'” (Mk. 6:37 NKJ)
Jesus told his disciples to give the thousands of people who followed them food to eat. They probably looked at Him as though He was out of touch with reality and said, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” That was an amount of money they could not even imagine. Jesus then supernaturally multiplied the bread and fed the people.
Jesus gave them a commandment to ” . . . give them something to eat.” Their minds naturally thought about the natural resources and feasibility of doing what God said. They thought about how much money it would take and the logistics of transporting all that food to the desert. The possibility of a supernatural provision by God did not cross their minds, as they were consumed by the natural way of doing things.
This is one of the most important spiritual problems we are facing today: the natural mind. The story above is a classic example. It might appear innocent, but this is a spiritual catastrophe. It is costing us both individually and as the body of Christ. There are churches, businesses, ministries, families, relationships, etc. that are being ruined each day because they are trying to fulfill God’s commandments using natural methods.
Beware of the operations of the natural, or carnal, mind in your life. I face its challenges all the time and I know you certainly have your own share of it each day!
MEDITATE
Why did Jesus give His disciples the command to feed the people? See Joh. 6:6.
APPLY THE WORD
Are spiritual things real to you? Or do they still appear imaginary? Spiritual things become real through the Spirit as you spend time in the Word. Engage in a mind-renewal today in the Word!
PRAY
Ask the Spirit to help you overcome the natural, or carnal, mind.
Recommended Read: Renew your mind
Must Read!: What is a Daily Devotional?
Free Mini E-book: From Spiritual Dryness to Flourishing
Today’s devotional was great, but even better, it led me to read Renew Your Mind. I do a small group at church each semester called Transforming Your Mind…One Message at a Time where we discuss the weekly message and all the Scripture referenced. I ask that each person take something from the message to apply to their daily lives and to set a weekly goal that we then discuss the following Sunday. I plan to send the Renew Your Mind devotional to everyone who registers for the summer class starting in June!
Peggy, thank you for the feedback and glad to know the Lord is using His Word through these devotionals to bless you. That is a great work you are doing right there.We will keep you in prayers and please do keep us posted about its progress and let us know if you need any materials from us to assist you in that work.Keep the fire burning!