Colossians 1:21 “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled”
Paul writes to the saints expounding upon the profound mercy, grace and love that God showed towards man when Christ died for our sins. Who are we that He died for us? We were alienated—we weren’t even permitted to have contact with God due to our sin. Worse, we were the enemies of God because of the wicked works which we had in our minds. But, hallelujah, the verse ends with “yet now hath he reconciled!”
Despite our very thoughts making us the enemy of God, the Lord gave mercy instead of judgement and reconciled to himself those alienated by sin. Today’s devotion deals with the phrase “enemies in your mind.” Christ may have reconciled you by cleansing your sins, but What’s in Your Mind today? Our thoughts can still make us the enemy of God even after salvation. If we think in opposition to the Will of God then we are the epitome of the enemy of God.
1). We Are What We Think – Before being reconciled, our thoughts were continually sinful; because we thought sinfully we then did sinfully; and, once an action is made, we are defined by that action. If my thoughts are continually stayed upon the Lord and seeking His Will, I will be a faithful servant to the Lord. However, though I may be saved, I can become a castaway and as a result my thoughts will again return to dwelling on the world, on the flesh, and sin. Some never hear what the Lord says because in their minds they have positioned themselves as an enemy to the things of God.
2). We Think on Those Things in our Heart – The things in a person’s heart are those that are valued above all else. You do not memorialize or reserve room in your heart for things which have no value to you. If a person’s thoughts have made them the enemy of God that is a result of God being cast out of their heart. Lips can honor God when hearts are yet far from Him. So, too, can a person appear to be spiritual yet have no place for God in their heart. When your thoughts start becoming opposed to the things of God it means that something has a larger piece of your heart than God does. Furthermore, we nourish the thing that dominates our heart and it is only a matter of time until we cast God entirely from our heart once something surpasses Him in our hearts.
3). What We Keep In Our Hearts, We Love – Something does not steal your heart, contrary to all those romantic comedies you’ve seen. A place in your heart is voluntarily given, whether or not you realize that you have given it away. Likewise, something does not absorb more room in our heart without our desire to increase its presence in our life. So after 2 & 1/2 points, the rubber meets the road here: Love God and he will have your heart. Don’t love God and something else will have your heart. Everything else is a manifestation of your love and reveals what it is that you love.
In short, a person in made an enemy of God in their mind when they love something more than they love God. Man measured things in degrees and shades, God deals in absolutes. Either we Love him supremely, or we do not love Him properly.
Your fellowservant in Christ,
Bro. Jordan Foster
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