Renewing the mind

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord.

Primary Text

“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” Romans 12v1-2 (AMP)

Our Lord Jesus prayed – ““I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one” (John 17v13-15, NIV). I remember pondering today how can one be a light in the world one lives without conforming to the world. It takes a renewal of the mind. While we are in the world, we are encouraged not to think according to the way the world thinks, but to know what the will of God is. That is why Romans 12v2 (NLT) encourages us that “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Indeed, how do you approach each situation that comes your way? How do you process what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell? God’s ways are not our ways, Isaiah 55v8-9 (AMP) saying “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” The way God sees and does things is very different from that of the world in which we live in. We see examples of people of faith who lived in this world but made a stand for what they believed in. Beloved, let us take time out to soak in the Word of God, to rely on God and to ensure that we are being transformed to know what the will of God is in every situation.

Supplementary Text

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.” Hebrews 11v32-35 (NIV)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your word this day.  We lay ourselves at Your altar as living sacrifices, purging ourselves of things that are displeasing to You that we may be vessels unto honour in Jesus name, amen. We pray for the grace to renew our minds, to ensure that we are transformed to Your way of doing things, please grant unto us in Jesus name, amen.