So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death.  But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6

“The opposite of hope isn’t despair, it’s distraction,” tweeted Bob Goff,[1] and he is so right.

If I’m distracted by what’s going on in the world, in my country, in my home and in my very own mind, it’s a short trip to despair. If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, you have an enemy, and the shots that he takes at you are always efforts to get you to focus on all that is wrong and on your insufficiency.  In short, he wants to get your eyes and your mind off of Jesus.

Every day, I need to be brought back. I need the illumination of the Holy Spirit as I interact with Scripture, as only this has the power to refresh, restore and refocus my mind, will and emotions. God’s Word speaks to us in both practical and spiritual ways. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.” Without this renewal, it’s inevitable:  our minds will always be on what the Bible calls “flesh and death.”  But it also says that “The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6).

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” encourages Hebrews 12:2. Daily fixing our eyes involves purposeful choices, remembering that what we gaze upon, read, listen to and click on is all designed to grab you and hold you. You can beat distraction and despair, but the hope-filled life lived with eyes fixed on Jesus will never happen by accident.

[1] Goff, Bob [@bobgoff]. The opposite of hope isn’t despair, it’s distraction.” Twitter, 5/21/22, https://twitter.com/bobgoff/status/1528094061726314496?cxt=HHwWgMClyf7c8LQqAAAA