“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:2 NKJV
As a kid, did you ever fake sleep and end up falling asleep? Or have you ever pretended to sleep so you could sleep?
Sometimes, even when you feel sleepy, you must still do the mechanical work of lying on your bed, putting your devices aside and closing your eyes. It may seem like a pretence, but it’s just something you have to do.
In the same way, with your devotion, you have a role to play, a duty. Duty is something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation.
Like a soldier with a duty to one’s nation, you must purposefully train your appetites to seek the things of God. In the anchor scripture, Apostle Paul instructs you to think about things of heavenly relevance. This is the mechanical role that you play. You must intentionally focus on things that stir your devotion to God.
By giving more attention to your devotional life, you train your appetites. This would entail regularly devoting time to prayer and Bible study. Similar to how regular physical attention increases fondness, spiritual things also require persistent attention (1 Timothy 4:15).
Another duty in your devotion is to curate an environment of inspiration. This would mean changing the type of songs you listen to, the movies you watch and even the books you read. Not all these things are necessarily evil, but they won’t add any spiritual value to you. You must guard your heart by controlling your consumption (Proverbs 4:23).
Influence through godly friendships is also an easy way to set your affections. When you have friends who pray, your prayer life automatically improves.
Lastly, you can exercise your appetites through faith. In your devotional life, you should always walk by faith and not necessarily by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Even when you don’t feel anything physically, it is your duty of devotion to continue. You can start in the flesh and end up in the spirit. You can command your desires!
Some days may not feel like it, but as David said,
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” Psalms 103:1 NKJV
Dear believer, there will always be good and bad days, but one thing must be consistent – your devotion to bless His name. Even when you feel like your lips won’t move, the Bible assures that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him and Christ is the reward itself
Bible Reading Plan: John 11:1-29