You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. – Romans 8:9
Cultivating a Spirit-filled heart and mind takes some intentional effort. It’s like tending a garden. If I don’t pull weeds, if I don’t water anything, well… I shouldn’t be surprised when everything looks dried up and neglected. The same goes for the spiritual life. If we want to grow, we can’t just hope it happens while remaining half-asleep spiritually.
Romans 8:9 reminds us that life in the Spirit isn’t passive. It calls for us to feed our minds with spiritual food every day. And not out of guilt or pressure, but because we need it. Our souls need more than a quick Bible verse and a recycled prayer. We need to sit with God’s Word long enough to ask, “What are You saying to me today, Lord? How does Your Word apply to me?” And then to pray earnestly, like a real conversation instead of a wish list.
Because the truth is that our time with the Lord isn’t something we should approach whimsically or stumble into halfheartedly. This is where the Spirit shapes us, strengthens us, and reminds us who we are.
