By: Juliet Constantine
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
Have you ever moved house/office and to your dismay you realize: (a) the route to your new home/office isn’t easy to remember; and/or (b) you keep driving back to the old place out of longing to see it or because your memory is programmed to that route? In the reality of such change, it would seem that the mind needs to be re-programmed to release the old and embrace the new.
Retraining the mind to release the old and embrace the new will take more than one effort. As a matter of fact, it is a daily determined effort that is done by choice. It’s the same with renewing the mind. This is something that you do yourself, with The Holy Spirit’s help. Renewing the mind is more than thinking and speaking positively. While the mind is fed a different diet than it’s accustomed, i.e. prayer and Bible study, it is more than that. It is an active total change.
When you move house/office there are certain things that you leave behind – things that you do not need anymore, that will only clutter and not enhance your new space. Additionally, as you get settled in, you will find things that need to be thrown-out and/or acquired to make your new space more comfortable. In contrast, when you become a new creation in Christ, there are certain things that you will need to release in the process of renewing your mind. These will be practices that you once enjoyed that are natural, familiar and acceptable by the world’s standard, but are contrary to your new life in Christ. The detours to these old practices must be put away as it’s impossible to totally embrace your new life with these distractions.
As you determined to retrain your mind to know and embrace your new space, the new route is now easy to remember. It’s no longer a struggle. So is it in your Christian walk. As you allow God’s word to do its work of sanctification in transforming your mind, your actions will fall in place. Your new perspective will result in behavioral change. Your desires and longings for those old practices will be gradually changed as you embrace the new person you’ve become. Your love for your renewed mind will be evidence in your decisions. No more will you settle for the world’s way of doing things. You will seek the higher calling above. Your new mind will be evident – not just to you but to all around.
So, why do you keep yourself from releasing and embracing? Are you really comfortable in conforming than transforming? You don’t need to be afraid of the resultant change of a renewed mind. Embrace the new you you’re becoming.
Our Heavenly Father, You’ve done everything for us, even to show us what we need to do. And You promised to help us even to do our part. We are choosing to embrace our ‘new space’ by renewing our minds as we surrender our lives to You. Seal our decisions for time and eternity we pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)
