Where is your mind? An easy way to test that is like this: if I gave you $100, how would you spend it? What’s the first thing that comes to mind. “Oh, I’ve got bills to pay, that would really help with that.” “I’ve been eyeing this fun toy, I’d put it toward that.” Or,” I’ll be honest, we’re out of toilet paper, and that money could go a long way toward basic necessities around the house.”

In my life, it’s never been the same answer. I grew up wanting fun toys. As a teenager, I was looking at music and electronics. In school, that money could buy an extra book or two for my library. That could pay for a nice trip to visit family. For me now, I could use that to buy a nice pair of running shoes.

While this test isn’t pass or fail, it is revealing of where your mind is.

Now it’s time to correct your own test. How did you do? When I offered you $100, how much of what you thought about related to you? How much of what you thought about related to someone else? How much of what you thought about related to God, not in how much of it you would give to your church, but did you think about the things God wants you to think about, what he would be okay with you thinking about, what he would support you doing and say, “That is a noble, healthy, wise, and worthy thing?” Or would you be ashamed if God read your mind right now?

Here is a truth we have to struggle with: as soon as we see an opportunity for something better, we often see how we can better ourselves. The disciples of Jesus faced the same struggle. James and John came to Jesus one day to ask about places of greatness in glory. Not for someone else. For them. “Jesus, will you save us a spot when you get there, yeah, we want to sit on your right and your left in glory.” This was their “$100 what’s on your mind” test. The answer to them was, “Me. I’d like you to recognize me, Jesus. I’d like that place to be where people recognize me, Jesus.” And the other disciples hearing this got upset. Not because they had in mind the widow’s mite, the centurion’s faith, or the boy with five loaves and small fish. They had themselves in mind. Another fail at the “$100 what’s on your mind test.”

This again is the struggle: as soon as we see an opportunity for something better, we often see how we can better ourselves. The apostle Paul identifies why this is in Romans chapter 8. Verse 5 says, “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

Simply put, your naturally have yourself in mind. The knee-jerk reaction to the “$100 what’s on your mind” test floods your mind with all kinds of selfish thoughts because it’s natural to want those things. Nature is really good at teaching your mind that lesson. And here’s why: because nature is not permanent. What you see today will be different tomorrow. What you have today will be gone tomorrow. Your very life may be yours today, but tomorrow God may take it into his hands. The natural mind thinks that having more will make me miss those things less. If I can just keep replacing what goes away then I never have to confront the reality that one day it all goes away.

But in the next verse, verse 6, Paul explains, “The mind of sinful man is death.” That’s the problem. No amount of more can get your mind off death. This is why we worry. That’s death talking. This is why we have anxious thoughts at a time like this in the world. That’s death talking. This is why we fear and think we must put our trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save (Psalm 146). That’s death talking. And the mind listens. And we see no way out, no hope in a hopeless situation, no peace of mind when it feels like everyone is losing theirs.

But Jesus didn’t leave us to struggle with this alone. Alone and left to what naturally comes to mind, we are lost for good. We are as good as dead in the world. But where Paul points out, “The mind of sinful man is death,” he goes on to say, “but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” A Spirit-filled mind has life and is at peace. A Spirit-filled mind has life not because we earned it, not because we asked for it, not because we were the first in line to beg Jesus for it. But the Spirit-filled mind has life because Jesus freely gives it.

If you want to talk about standing in line, in some kind of order of who gets what and why because, “Look at me, look at me,” let’s talk about where Jesus went in the line. Jesus said to his disciples, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). This was how he answered James and John and all the disciples arguing about places of their own glory. Jesus pointed to his cross. There was no glory for Jesus to be subjected to the criminal’s death penalty of crucifixion. Here the disciples were arguing about what’s in it for me, and all Jesus had in his mind was: “What’s in it for them? Where do I have to stand in the line so that they can have something more? At the end! Fine! Good! Then I will take the place of a servant. I will pay the price for them, the ransom price to set them free, the release from sin, the end of condemnation, and the gift of life.

A Spirit-filled mind has life because Jesus earned it. A Spirit-filled mind has life because Jesus asked for you to have it. A Spirit-filled mind has life because Jesus put you first in line and begged for your place in glory. And now this, this is why the Spirit-filled mind is at peace.

In a world where peace is some mythical fantasy where the prince and princess live happily ever after, in a world where peace of mind can diminish as quickly as the hours of a day so that what was all fine and good a week ago is now all kinds of “not good,” in a world where “at peace” is only uttered at the funeral of a loved one, Jesus says, “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” The mind is at peace because your happily ever after is not a fantasy but a God-promised reality. The mind is at peace because, while the things of men can change quickly from one week to the next, the things of God are the same yesterday, today, and forever. He loves you the same. He lives with you the same. He forgives you daily the same. He strengthens you in your struggle with your natural mind the same. He guards and keeps you in his hand ever faithfully the same. And the mind is at peace through every moment leading up to our blessed end because, while the world always wants more for you, the Spirit of God left nothing undone, no need unmet, no more for you to do to add to all that Jesus did for you.

A Spirit-filled mind looks at the “$100 what’s on your mind” test differently. The Spirit of God guides your mind to think of others ahead of yourself. The Spirit of God guides your mind to think of acts of service ahead of acts that serve me. The Spirit of God guides your mind to think, “I’m going to be okay in this. Yeah, it’s scary. I’m a bit concerned about tomorrow. I’m not really sure how this is all gonna play out just yet. But this I know: I am alive and my Jesus gives me peace. On this ground I stand and cannot be shaken: my Jesus paid my price for me and left nothing for me to ask for, beg for, plead for, or need. As surely as he rose on the third day to live and rule in his kingdom, so surely will I live forever by his side.”

I don’t know who will sit at Jesus’ left or his right. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to us. In heaven Jesus will be no farther from you than he is right now. He is by your side, hand in hand, full of life, pouring out peace, and guiding the mind to the things of God. Amen.

Let us pray:

Jesus, you are my ransom price. You are my life and peace. You gave your life for mine as a servant to set me free. For me there is now no condemnation. Yet, Lord, at times my heart and mind naturally want what’s best for me. Forgive me for my selfishness. Guide my mind to think what’s best to you. When I have an opportunity for something better, turn my mind to what you desire. In your holy name I pray, Amen.