"But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about" (Romans 8:9, The Message).
The Bible severally indicates that we were made to be God's dwelling place, a home for the presence of the living God. God’s eternal
purpose is to fill man with all His fullness so that humans become literal carriers of God. This should not be difficult to understand and accept because God is a spirit and as such, He could take up residence in our lives. The whole idea of Christianity is God in man and man in God. That was why Jesus came, the Emmanuel, God with us and revealed in us.
Today's Scripture verse for meditation takes off on the assumption that we have turned our lives over to God by receiving "the Spirit of Christ", and then posits that "if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him". In other words, a man who has given God room in his life ought to think more of God than of himself. Thoughts about God, His nature, His words and His kingdom should consume such a man from time to time.
The words and deeds of such a person should constantly give him out as someone who has been 'possessed' by God and His Holy Spirit.
Friends, how much of your thought life centres on God and the things of God? The Bible actually forbids us to be filled with any other thing than the Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:18). The implication of this is that we should consciously clear away from around us such things as would not encourage our focus on the Lord. As a matter of fact, Christians are admonished to keep looking unto Jesus and to nurture within themselves the "mind of Christ" so that they might be filled with His thoughts.
One more question to honestly think about. Have you truly welcomed the Lord into your life? A songwriter wrote a prayer song, fervently pleading that God should come and make her heart His home. Could that possibly be your earnest plea as well? As our Bible text for today indicates, you won't understand what we are talking about until you have welcomed "this invisible but clearly present God" into your life.
This you can do by simply asking the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart and be your Lord and personal Saviour. Do it right now. He will come in and fill you with His Holy Spirit, and your life will never remain the same.
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