"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Carnal is referring to the mindset of (in this case) believers who have not matured. Why is it that so many people want to stay in the state of carnal minded? Is it possible that they are afraid that if they cave in to following the precepts of God that they will not be able to do some things? Maybe it is because they are afraid that they might become like the people they make fun of. Maybe it's because they have never really tasted of true Christianity. Whatever the reason, if you are reading this, it is time to make up your mind that you are going to step out in faith and try to experience a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.
Becoming spiritual minded is a requirement for becoming a mature Christian. But this kind of spiritually minded is not the kind that your non-believing friends have made up in their minds that you would be like if you were spiritually minded. Even shallow Christians (carnal minded Christians) have a negative view of becoming spiritual, as if becoming spiritual made you forget what it is to be a man or a woman with needs and wants and desires. Nothing could be further from the truth. Becoming spiritual opens your eyes and your ears to higher thinking. Closer to God becomes your mantra and with closer comes wisdom. You will start to make wiser decisions and handle more issues with less effort than ever before. Becoming spiritual puts you in touch with your inner man, that part of your whole self that is the home of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Having access to the power of God is far more interesting, adventuresome and exciting than sitting around watching TV, hoping that you will be enlightened by Hollywood's finest playwrights.
The only way to get free from the doldrums of apathy and following the continuous drain of the rudimentary lifestyle is to make up your mind that you are not going to just 'tolerate' life anymore. You have got to make up your mind that you are going to receive the best that God has to offer and then do something with it. God is liberal with His gifts, blessings, money, love, mercy and forgiveness. God will enhance your life in direct proportion to the measure you give it. If you give it little you will grow little. If you give it much you will get much. If you give it more, you will receive more than imaginable. If you give it your all you will receive God's all. God set it up this way so that you would learn to co-create with God.
The carnal mind is the enemy of God-thinking. The carnal mind will keep you trapped for years and provide the ammunition to continue blaming others for your own unwillingness to cooperate with the plan of God for your life. The carnal mind doesn't serve you, you serve it. Your passions and desires are not ever met while nurturing the carnal mind. That's why you have to go back again and again to get the same things over and over again without ever being fulfilled. The carnal mind promotes the art of repeating the same mistake over and over again. The carnal mind is the enemy of God.
Being spiritually minded is about participating in what God is doing in His kingdom, here, on this side of heaven, now, with what you have. Nothing more and nothing less.
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