• About Us
  • Weekly Devotion Blog
  • Misson Videos
  • Schedule Bridgette for an Event
THREE THINGS WILL LAST FOREVER—FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE—AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Renewing the Mind

7/3/2015

0 Comments

 
I haven’t written in quite some time.  It has been about two months, which is certainly unusual for me, but finally I felt God has given me some thoughts again.  I think, as I write in this devotion, it was simply about renewing my mind!  Sometimes we let all kinds of things distract us and block our connection to our heart. It can be people, jobs, activities, relationships, and on and on the list goes.  I guess I could pinpoint mine to a couple of things, but the choice in which way we move is always up to us.  God never moves and always stays the same. I am glad if we move to Him He will always draw us back closer to Him.

Recently I was taking some bags out of the car.  I had a package of Oreo cookies in the same bag with the bananas. I had forgot to take them out of the car so they had been together for a length of time.  As I unloaded the car I could taste the delicious cream in the middle of the Oreo.  When I opened the cookies and took a bite of the cream, I was very disappointed.  The delicious cream I had craved tasted like bananas.  I like bananas but I do not like Oreo’s that taste like bananas.  Even though they had never physically touched each other, because the Oreo’s had been in such close proximity to the bananas, they started to smell and taste like bananas.  Although they looked the same on the outside they had definitely been altered.  

Here is my thought for today.  Even though we may not physically be participating in worldly behavior, do we get so close to it that we take on its characteristics? We may appear to be the same on the outside, but have allowed things to taint our values, views, and our attitude.   Do we choose to ignore things around us that are unbiblical in order not to offend someone?  Do we not speak our mind on subjects because we are afraid of loosing friends?  Do we choose to allow our children to participate in things we do not feel comfortable with so they will not feel left out?  Do we take on the bad attitude of those around us because we spend too much time with them?  The world around us is constantly draining our spiritual life from us.  Right now there are numerous subjects being debated.  The questions around us are putting Christians in the middle of the fire.  Instead of allowing this to be a problem for us we must simply stop and say, “What does the Bible say about it?” If it does not line up with the Word of God, then as Christians, we should not support it nor participate in it.

John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.


Romans 12:1-2   I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I love the last verse when it says, “ be transformed by the renewal of your mind”.  This is talking about the mental facilities, reasoning, and understanding of our mind.  When informed by evil our mind becomes a source of evil; when informed by the Spirit, it is an instrument of good. It is like the old saying," Whatever  you put in will make its way out."  The term “transformed” is the Greek word metamorphoo, which forms the root for the English word “metamorphosis”.  Paul uses the present tense of this, which indicates this has to be done on a continuous basis.  The verb is also passive; implicating God is doing the transforming.  Finally, the verb is imperative meaning we have a responsibility.  The renewal of our mind takes effort on our part, it does not just happen.  We have to choose on a daily basis to concentrate on things that will strengthen our walk with God.   Bible.org presents this picture.  “While we were sinners we were use to sin that cut deep grooves into our heart and mind like a river cutting a path through rock.  Now as Christians we are making new grooves following God’s leadership.  In order to make these new grooves permanent, we have to continually renew our mind in those things of Christ by saturating our self in God’s Word, memorizing scripture, communicating with God, and slowing our pace.

As the world begins to close in more and more around us, we must make more time for the renewal of our mind so we will know “what is good and acceptable and perfect” in God’s eyes. 

 

 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author 

    My name is Bridgette Guest. I am a wife, mom, children's minister, as well as women's conference speaker.  I love the Lord, and want to share his word with as many people as I can.






    ​

    Archives  

    December 2022
    August 2022
    June 2020
    March 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Archives

    December 2022
    August 2022
    June 2020
    March 2020
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.