A Renewing Resolution Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NASB) For as long as I remember, Ive heard people make New Years resolutions about something they are going to change in their lives. Then later, I observe that they are back doing the very thing that they committed not to do. Year after year, they make the same resolutions, merely because it is tradition; then, they are soon forgotten. But if we are serious about shedding old habits, consider Scripture as a renewing adventure. You may find this lasting and perhaps life-changing. There is a simple three-step process that is outlined in todays Scripture text: (1) non-conformation, (2) transformation, and (3) a renewing. In this progression, we must first make Jesus the Lord of our lives. 1 John 2:15 – Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (NASB) So as a non-conformer, we mirror Christlikeness and the love of God. Secondly, Paul tells us to be transformed. The Greek word is metamorphoo from which we derive our English word metamorphosis, meaning changing from one form to another. Analogous to this is modifying our lifestyle to match our saved condition, and stopping mimicking the world and its system. In other words, becoming a new you. Finally, the third step in this procedure is a renewing of our minds. A comparable analogy is that of a computer. An adage says, Garbage in; garbage out. If we depress the restart button of our minds, a process of renovation takes place. If we think like God, instead of how the world thinks, we absorb spiritual values. Colossians 3:10,16a – Put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created [you]. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom. (NASB) The world desires to change our minds from without. If the world controls our mind, we become a conformer. But by meditating on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will change our minds from within and render us a transformer. Then, not only will we become good and acceptable in the will of God, but we will be following a path toward perfection. As a result, we become lights to the world and salt to the earth. Therefore, I challenge each one to make this pledge for the coming year: Resolve to renew your mind daily. Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for Your Word and the fellowship that we have with You. We pray that the Holy Spirit will renew our minds and our hearts with wisdom and understanding through Christ Jesus — Your Son — our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:10:08 +0000
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