Sometimes my thoughts can drive me crazy and leave me mentally exhausted! The information that floods my head on a daily basis can be overwhelming — “to do” list, family concerns, children, work, marriage, the upkeep of my home, finances, health, the chaos in the world around me, and abroad and on and on. I can find myself focused and fixated on the wrong things, which in turn can lead to worry, fear, frustration, and just being stressed out in general! So what’s a girl to do?
Romans 12:1-2 offers us some insight as we continue to explore cultivating a peaceful and joyful mind, heart, and life.
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.
We see two contrast in thinking this passage: a mind conformed or a mind transformed.
conformed — to fashion alike, conform to the same pattern; to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern; a masquerade.
transformed — to change one’s form, to transform; refers to an invisible process in Christians which takes place or begins to take place during their life in this age. From two words meaning to shape, form in the midst of (together with), fellowship.
It’s not hard to conform to the world’s way of thinking. We are bombarded with thousands of messages a day telling us how we should think, feel, look, and act. But I love one of the definitions for this word: a masquerade. When we try to conform to the world’s way of thinking and acting, we find ourselves living a masquerade — not real, not authentic. So how do we change our mindset? How are we transformed in our thinking? RENEWAL! Yes, please. I’ll take some renewal. I could use a break from the overwhelming flood battling for my mental attention. I could use some help discerning what is best and what is pleasing, good, and acceptable to God.
renewal — renewal, renovation, complete change for the better
Take a look at four ways we find RENEWAL:
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- Titus 3:5 — renewed by the Holy Spirit
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