“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:5-6 (NKJV)
In the Scripture above we can see the nature of mankind. We believe and walk by what we think. The mind of man is the control room for all of our activities of life. We operate on the information we ingest through our eyes, ears, and other senses. That is why it is vital that we filter the information through the proper channels.
There are many sources of information that we encounter everyday, and it is our responsibility to properly use this information to configure our lives. Some must be discarded, some examined, and some used to build our life on. The quality of our life depends on how we use what we get from around us. It matters if we use wood, hay, straw, gold, silver, and precious stones.
When using this metaphor it is necessary to recognize the differences of the building blocks. Things that are carnal and fleshly are weak building blocks. The elements of wood, hay, and straw are not what a Christian should incorporate in their life. They are what Paul calls “weak and beggarly elements” and he admonishes the church at Galatia not to be in bondage to them.
The Christian that builds his life on the Bible and leadership of the Holy Spirit is building with gold, silver, and precious stones that will survive the test of fire in the Day of Judgment. Although there is a final Day of Judgment, we must understand that every time we face an assault from the enemy we are tested by fire. It is a “day of judgment” and the better the quality of our building material the better we can stand in the day of testing. Don’t be caught in a straw house when you could be one of gold, silver, or precious stones. Fill your mind with the thing of God and His Word. Set your mind on things above.