Are You Living from the Outside-In or from the Inside-Out?
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:6
Whatever controls our minds determines if we live from outside-in or from the inside-out. In simpler terms, are our minds and emotions controlled primarily by the world or controlled primarily by the Spirit? Which takes priority, pleasing our fleshly desires or pleasing our eternal souls?
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5). From this verse we can get an indication of what our priorities are by looking at our thoughts. Do we think about things of the world more than we think about things of God? Do we have our minds set on worldly things or do we have our minds set on what the Spirit desires?
The world has a strong pull on our thoughts, but the key is to remain in the Spirit and to interface to the world through the Spirit. This means that whatever we hear and whatever emotions we have, we process it all through the Spirit. Likewise, we process every thought, word, and action through the Spirit. This is how we interface to the world and have our minds set on what the Spirit desires. This may sound difficult, but if we practice and pray, the Lord will make it happen because this is the way the Lord wants us to live, always connected to him through the Spirit.
Living through the Spirit is living from the inside-out, with our thoughts, words, and actions controlled by Christ through the Spirit. Living from the outside-in means that our thoughts, words, and actions are controlled by the world. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). When our minds are controlled by the Spirit we are no longer directly controlled by the world, and the result is peace and joy. God never changes and when controlled by the Spirit we live in a restful, unrushed state. If you are controlled by the world, you can experience an emotionally unstable life because the world is chaotic.
Living from the outside-in and not living for what the Spirit desires, the mind is governed by the flesh which causes spiritual death. Romans 8:6 is a very sobering verse that warrants a close look at our thoughts. It’s a very great advantage to stay connected to the Lord and to interface to the world through the Spirit. We live to serve the Lord as his ambassador, and the closer we are to the Lord the more our hearts are filled with his love.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). Understand and believe this verse; put the Lord first and he will provide for your worldly needs. If you seek to provide for your own worldly needs over serving the Lord, you can easily struggle.
Today live from the inside out, driven by the Lord’s good, pleasing, and perfect will. Seek guidance through the Spirit to make Godly choices in your thoughts and words. Walk today with peace and joy and reflect God’s love to everyone.
Prayer: Lord, help me to live from the inside-out, guided by the Holy Spirit. Fill my heart with your love to reflect to others, and keep me from living from the outside-in, driven by my sinful fleshly desires. In Jesus name, Amen