Regard No One According To The Flesh

How do we look at people? In what light do we see their potential? How we see them will influence how we treat them.

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 ESV

We are not to use the body as our emphasis. The soul is the focus. The spirit is the identity. The content of each soul is unique. We are not bodies with souls. We are souls with bodies.

Lust has a fleshly dimension. This change of focus hinders that avenue of expression.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life -- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." - 1 John 2:15-17 ESV

Sensuality, materialism, and egotism are the whole ball of wax. How far does just this small principle go to weaken the whole structure what would take us down?

What does a soul have? What does it need? If we have a living spirit it has been made alive by the Holy Spirit. What is that like? What nourishes the connections of body, soul and spirit?

Will 'getting more' help our soul or is it only for our flesh?

Will attaining recognition add to our soul or is it an egotistic high that eventually sends us spiralling to the ground?

Souls need love. Souls need light. Souls need care. Souls need to be filled with good things. Souls need memories. Souls need to know their creator. Souls need healing. Souls need companionship.

This is on my mind lately. I can't know the people I know well after the flesh. It will hurt the relationship. I can't know new people that way either or things will start in an off-kilter way that will need to be fixed later.

God Help us. You are our way of escape. We need your eyes to see people. We need light about what You have done to get the light to see this way. Illuminate our perception. Change our minds. Turn us and we will be turned to see what You see by faith. Thank You God. Give us the gift of repentance in this area. We may need to humble ourselves before the people we have known after the flesh. It might take a conversation or more than one to get this to stick. Give us humility. Direct our steps. Thank You, God.

Praise You Lord Jesus. You walked in perfection as a man and yet we don't know You that way anymore. You are the God-man who sits on a throne in Heaven. You fully identified with us so that we could fully identify with You beyond our bodies. Lift us in our thinking. We know You will. Thank You.

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