Renew Your Mind

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:1-3 (NIV)

“...but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It did not say “transformed by some supernatural force” or “transformed by someone who loves you” or “transformed by changing jobs” or “transformed by losing weight” and the list could go on and on. We all know people who have changed jobs and for a while they were different, but then they fell back into the same patterns as before or people who lost a great amount of weight and for a while they were different but then you see them a year or a few years later and they are like they were. The reason is that they only changed what they DID for a while and never changed the way they THINK... the renewing of the mind.

The word “renew” in that Scripture is from a Greek word that means literally “to renovate.” The word for “transformed” is “metamorphoo” from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” Metamorphosis is what takes place when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. It is transformed from a wooly, creepy, worm that crawls at a snail’s pace to a beautiful butterfly, brilliant with color, flitting around with such speed they are difficult to catch. That’s transformation!

Yet Paul says that we can be transformed, be so changed that the new hardly resembles to old, by renewing, renovating our minds. Now, there is both the act of our will and the help of the Holy Spirit involved here. The Holy Spirit helps us, but He waits for us to by an act of the will begin to change the way we think. Some of you getting this spend way too much time berating yourselves for your mistakes. “I am so stupid” or “How could I be so stupid to to that or think that or allow this to happen?” or “I am just not smart enough” or “I am just not pretty enough” or “I am just not quick enough.” Well... you get the point. Stop that! Renovate your mind. Fill it with God’s word. Fill it with uplifting conversation. Fill it with thoughts of who you are in Christ. Stop hanging out with people that talk negatively all the time. Renovate! Renovate!

“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)

I am amazed at how often the Bible tells us to do things that we ask God to do for us. He will help us through the power of the Holy Spirit, but there are just some things we must do. Notice in the Scripture above, “Throw off” and “Let the Spirit” and “Put on.” Admonitions from the Holy Bible that all depend on our action and our decisions. What needs to change in your mind, your thinking?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the powerful help of the Holy Spirit to aid me, but I realize today that His help only follows by actions and decisions. Today, I decide to be a stronger, better person in my life. I am changing, renovating my mind... the way I think and the attitudes I have. I anticipate Your supernatural participation as I become what and who God has planned for me to be. AMEN.

Blessings!
Pastor Roger