WALKING ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT
AND MINDING THE SPIRIT
Romans 8:4 reveals that we need to walk according to this wonderful Spirit. Eventually, the New Testament charges us to do just one thing—to walk, behave, speak, do things, and have our being according to the mingled spirit. Romans 8:6 tells us to set our mind upon the spirit. There is no need for me to try to explain this, for the more I explain it, the more confused you will be. You simply need to realize that you have such a spirit within you and that you should do everything according to your spirit. Are you about to lose your temper? Behave according to the spirit. Are you about to exchange words with your wife or husband? Speak according to the spirit. Have your being according to the spirit. Talk according to spirit, fellowship according to spirit, do everything according to spirit. Be simple. Do not think about so many things. Do not think that your wife or husband is good or bad. Instead, set your mind upon the spirit. When you are thinking about your wife or husband, set your mind upon the spirit. When you are tempted to think about a sale coming up tomorrow, set your mind upon the spirit. Instead of considering what style shoes to buy or what color they should be, set your mind upon the spirit. Many of you have heard that you should set your mind upon the spirit, but do you actually practice it? We need to set our mind upon the spirit.
In our life-study of Genesis we came up with a new proverb: Bind your donkey to the vine. (See Life-study of Genesis, Message One Hundred, p. 1290.) Setting the mind upon the spirit is somewhat like binding the donkey to the vine. When you are thinking about the past or about how your wife is treating you, bind your donkey to the vine and set your mind upon the spirit. Do not care about heaven or earth, or about your wife or husband. Instead, set your mind upon the spirit, and bind your donkey to the vine. Hallelujah, my donkey is tied to the vine! Everything is involved with the vine, which is Christ. Do not argue, reason, or consider. Simply bind your donkey to the vine and set your mind upon the spirit. If you do this, you will be happy and rejoicing and praising. The more you praise, the more you will be in the spirit. The more you praise, the more you will restrict yourself to the spirit and concentrate yourself in the spirit. Hallelujah, it is here in the spirit that we enjoy Him and experience all the riches of Christ! This is wonderful.
(The Spirit and the Body, Chapter 9, by Witness Lee)
