Taken from Charles Stanley’s book The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life, page 110.

Spirit-filled men and women are not isolated from what’s going on around them.  They are not without their faults.  They experience hurt and disappointment like everybody else.  They have their daily bouts with temptation.

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What sets them apart from the rest of the world is their response.  When circumstances wreak havoc with the peace of Spirit-filled people, there will be some downtime.  But they won’t stay down.  They refocus their attention on the big picture, acknowledge the truth that their peace is from the Lord, and then move on.  They don’t allow disappointment and sorrow to control them.  They don’t deny or run from those things.  But they don’t dwell on them either.  They reset their minds on the things above.  They know that “the mind set on the things of the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6)

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When Spirit-filled believers are treated unjustly, they feel the outrage and frustration that accompany such acts.  There may even be a period of time in which thoughts of revenge cloud their thinking.  But before long, they regain perspective.  They refocus on the truth.  They remind themselves that “all things...work together for good” (Roman 8:28) and that as a believer, they are not to repay evil for evil. (1 Peter 3:9)  Again, they don’t deny the pain; they just look at it differently.  They choose not to become bitter.  They forgive and move on.  Their recovery time is short.

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Spirit-filled Christians are not perfect.  They still have the flesh to contend with.  They can be as unkind and insensitive as anybody else.  Again, it’s their response that sets them apart.  When they realize their sin, they are quick to apologize.  Reconciliation is a high priority for them.  Believers who are walking in the Spirit do not have a difficult time admitting they are wrong.  Their internal security allows them the freedom to be transparent.

The mind set on the things of the Spirit
is life and peace. 

(Romans 8:6)