Preoccupations

Your spiritual state | your emotions | & | your physical body depends on what occupies your mind. If it is self-preoccupation | you can forget peace and contentment.

|

Your spiritual state | your emotions | & | your physical body depends on what occupies your mind. If it is self-preoccupation | you can forget peace and contentment. |

Actions speak louder than words — but preoccupations speak loudest

Human preoccupations occurs when you're engrossed in something; it holds your attention completely. You have become fixated, focused and absorbed.

The pursuit of our own passions and desires are what drives all our actions and decisions, they drive us into relationships, drives us to watch football, drives us toward excellence at work. We authentically pursue what we are convinced will bring us satisfaction and enjoyment.

God’s concerns however, are different from the concerns of humans. The word confronts these preoccupations head-on. Christ died on a cross not merely to self-improve ourselves but to re-create us, from the inside out, and that includes our motivations.

By God’s regenerating grace, new desires begin to emerge in us. For the first time, we desire to commune with God, to spend time with him, and to learn about him in His word. We feel a new pull towards God like we’ve never experienced before. These new longings and desires and anticipations get expressed to him in our prayers and we experience new delight to live in obedience to His will.

When God has a priority in our passions and things we preoccupy ourselves with, he has our hearts. What fundamentally changes is that we no longer live for ourselves and for the gratification of our inclinations. Our hearts are now driven by new desires and passion for God.

But those old sinful desires don’t forfeit and move on. In the Christian heart a war breaks out. The flesh (the fountain of old desires & passions) and the Spirit (the fountain of new passions and preoccupations) war against each other.

Be not conformed to this world…

When you choose not to be conformed to this world, it means that because we are all called to be in the world, but not of the world. There are a lot of things people become preoccupied with, that has become acceptable, and many people are so blinded by it, because it is called right—when really those things do not line up with God’s word.

The cares of this world will choke the word (will of God) so much so that many have become unfruitful and unproductive in their contributions to the Kingdom here on earth! I’m talking about spirit-filled people who don’t have God’s creativity in their minds and who don’t know His possibilities, skills and knowledge! This extreme preoccupation and human passion has entered in and has/will choke the word, which is the will of God!

I am yet astounded by God’s ambassadors—spirit-filled believers, who can’t seem to come up with solutions to problems, and have not yet realized that they’re not supposed to be the problem—but the solution!! Since Jesus Christ is the answer—and He indeed, lives in us—consequently, we become the world’s solution, in every situation.

Many are saying they do not have the time for spiritual things, such as praying, studying the word and fasting (growing into deeper communion with God and being more in tune with His Spirit.

Spiritual disciplines take our eyes off of the things of our self, and open our eyes to the things of God. When a persons does not have time for the things of God—what that means is that, that person has chosen to shut down the supreme flow of the spirit of God and elected to cut the cord of their own existence; the cord of the intelligence of God, that helps us to think higher than the average individual! They have elected to handle and deal with everything in this life—themselves; including things that pertain to God’s abundant life!!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

For it is only in Him, we live, move and have our being—not our human passions and preoccupations!

Core Scriptures:
Mk. 8:35, Rom.12:1, Eph. 4:18