BIBLE PASSAGE:
Do not conform 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.
(Romans 12:2)
MEDITATION:
When a new year begins, many people start making resolutions.
Webster defines ‘resolution’ as
‘a firm decision to do or not do something’.
It is a kind of ‘reset’ time when once again we ‘set our mind’ to
accomplish the things we failed to do in the previous year, or years.
In the physical realm, we resolve to
have better eating habits, exercise more and lose weight.
In the financial area, we resolve to
have better and wiser spending habits, to reduce
the usage of credit cards, and to get out of debt.
In the planning arena, we resolve to
get better organized, to stop procrastinating, and to
complete the things we plan to do in a timely manner.
In the spiritual realm, we resolve to
attend worship services on a regular basis, to pray more, to read
the Bible more, and to seek to know the Lord better (and give Him
more control of our lives).
We also resolve to
resist and repel the temptations from Satan
and to develop the characteristics of Jesus.
Our list could go on and on, but it is the spiritual area we need to focus on.
God has given believers a very short list of resolutions (only two). The first
is to pray for the ‘renewal of our minds’. God doesn’t need our help with the
details of what that means, we just need to ask Him to ‘renew our minds’, to
have faith that He will, to trust Him to do it, and to give Him the freedom to
make the changes we need.
James spoke about the importance of having a renewed mind.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.”
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt
anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged
away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire
has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown,
gives birth to death.
(James 1:13-15)
Our mind is the gateway for Satan to have his will in our lives and
we need to make sure it is protected like a value commodity, which
it is!
When we ask the Lord to renew our minds and sincerely give Him
free reign to change us, all of our other resolutions will fall into
place. God knows how to make us the type of person we need to
be, and when He does, the changes will astound us!
The second resolution for Christians is to find out God’s will
for our lives. In his letter to the Colossians Paul spoke of the
importance of God’s Will.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you,
we have not stopped praying for you. We continually
ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will
through all the wisdom and understanding that the
Spirit gives,
(Colossians 1:9)
Notice Paul didn’t say that they prayed for the Colossians to get
a ‘general idea’ of God’s will. He said that they prayed for God
to ‘fill them’ with the knowledge of His will. Paul knew that a
cursory knowledge of His will would not suffice; they needed
to fully understand God’s will for their lives.
With a full knowledge they would be able to see how their lives
‘mesh’ into God’s earthly ministry. It would also give them a
feeling of value and worth. We can be discouraged by many things,
but knowing that God considers us important is what matters the
most.
Paul also told the Colossians (and us)
the benefits of discovering God’s Will for their lives.
“so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord
and please him in every way: bearing fruit in
every good work, growing in the knowledge of
God, being strengthened with all power according
to his glorious might so that you may have great
endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks
to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the
inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
(Colossians 1:10-12)
ACTION:
Whenever you start a new year, rather than trying to make a list
of all the things you resolve to do (or not do), pray for the Lord to
‘renew your mind’ and to show you His will for your life. It is a
matter of faith and trust that our Almighty God can change us!
Do you really want to continue a kind of humdrum existence or
do you want to start living an exciting life fully connected to the
One who loves you and gave His life for you?
Deciding to change and give the Lord a bigger portion of our lives,
might be a tough challenge for some, but when we do, we will discover
new things that we could have never imagined, and more importantly,
we will enjoy being ‘connected’ to the Lord!
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I have seen how much I can fail when
trying to do things my way. My desire is to give You control
of my life through the renewing of my mind and discovering
Your perfect will for my life. Help me to relinquish my
selfishness and to allow You to have full reign in my life.
I know that when You are in control, I will be on the right
track and I can enjoy fellowshipping with You. Thank You
for Your promises to all who believe!”
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