You have heard the saying, “If you are too heavenly minded then you are no earthly good.” This saying is a lie. I am definitely no earthly good when I am angry, prideful, and anxious. By surrendering my mind to God, I have become free from anger, pride, and anxiety. With my new heavenly mind, I now trust Him to take care of all the things that concern me. So, as long as I am heavenly minded, I will not give in to the temptation to sin in my reactions when I am angry or be anxious and become depressed or be prideful and not treat people with kindness.
Complete victory over sin can only occur when we invite Jesus Christ to rule our lives and receive His forgiveness for our sins. After we surrender to His Lordship, then we can ask His help when we are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18 states, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Also, read Hebrews 4:14-16. Have you surrendered your life to God’s loving care? If not, please take a few minutes to do that now.
Can we be too heavenly minded and no earthly good? No, because sin begins in the mind from temptations to do wrong (see James 1:13-15). Our conscience sends a signal of discomfort when we are being tempted to do wrong. So, when we rebel against the good God says we should do and give in to the temptations, that is sin. Sin corrupts our hearts and messes up our lives. So, to be victorious over temptations, keep your mind on what pleases God instead of what pleases your self-centered desires.
Paul encouraged the Colossians to seek the things of Heaven and not focus on the things of earth. Colossians 3:1-2 states, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” In fact, Ephesians 2:6 says we are raised up with Christ and seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus after we are saved by His grace from the control of sin and God’s wrath. But keeping our thoughts on the truths of God is hard to do because the world offers so many enticements to take our minds away from Him. And, there is so much to be anxious and angry about. The solution is to ponder Scriptures and turn every thought into a prayer to protect your mind from temptations to do wrong.
So, if you want to prosper and succeed, you must resolve to keep your mind on spiritual principles found in the Bible. In Joshua 1:8, he explains, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” King David said in Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” The best way to store God’s Word in our hearts is to memorize it. Get involved in a Bible-teaching church and take part in Bible studies to stay focused on heavenly things. Be quick to forgive people who offend you and pray for them. And, fellowship with other Christ-centered believers.
If you don’t want to wreck your life by sinning, then it is best to not hang out with people who take part in sinful enticements. Sinful enticements could be gambling, sexual sin, drinking, drugs, hate, violence, lying, stealing, etc., which are no earthly good. It is also wise not to immerse yourself in foolish, worldly entertainment such as plays, concerts, hours of television, or non-Christian movies. Think for a moment. If the people creating the entertainment have not submitted their minds to God to bring Him glory, then their foolish, evil thoughts are directing their actions and creativity. Worldly entertainment deceives you into thinking the foolishness and evil is acceptable when the goal is to enslave you in sinful thoughts and actions.
King David said, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” What you view on the internet, television, and at the movies clings to your mind and cannot be unseen. I also recommend not spending much mindless time reading social media and other worthless materials that do not encourage you to love God and other people. Do the magazines and books you read draw you closer to God or draw you closer to self-centered worldly thinking. Each of us should consider how much time we want to waste on unprofitable activities and instead seek the things above where we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.
The Bible says Christ-following Christians are strangers and exiles on the earth (see Hebrews 11:13 and 1 Peter 2:11), and our true home is heaven. Philippians 3:20 states, “but our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” So, if our true citizenship is in heaven, it stands to reason, we should focus our minds and hearts on the things of God, not the things of the world. Because we are citizens of heaven, we are called ambassadors for Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:20,21 it states, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
An ambassador represents another country while living in a different country. The ambassador speaks on behalf of their home institutions. How are you doing as an ambassador of Heaven? Are you representing the Kingdom of Christ well? Are you helping your neighbors, friends, and family be reconciled to God?
There is hope for complete healing as we turn our minds to Christ and the things of Heaven.
Related Posts:
Psalm 91:1–How to Dwell in Heaven Now
Why, What, and How to Submit to God
WHY HEAL YOUR HEART AND PURIFY YOUR SOUL?
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P.S.: Experiencing a lasting change in your life depends on having a right relationship with God the Father through believing in His Son Jesus Christ and obeying His command to love (1 John 3).
Hope for Complete Healing 