by David Brenneman
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 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. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
Renewing of your mind is for you to be doing. If you wonder what God's will for you is...right there is part of it. It's not for "the other guy" only. It's not for just the Pastor and maybe his family. It's not just for Elders, Deacons or Deaconesses.
It's for you.
So if it's for you, and right there in Paul's letter to the Romans it is, what are you doing to be obeying Christ in accomplishing it?
This does count with regards to the passage we read the other day that says "He who knows the right thing to do and does not do it sins".
You're on notice that you indeed know the right thing to be doing.
You know that this transformation of your mind is something that God in Christ Jesus wants you to be doing.
Sooo what are you doing to accomplish this?
It might indeed call for some sacrifices on your part. You might need to truly live by your commitments not your intentions.
Ouch.
An intention not fulfilled sounds more like an excuse.
For me, it's meant not participating in some things. It's meant adding more time in God's word. It's meant sacrifices. Getting up at 3:15 AM Monday through Thursday. It's meant not going to bed until I have read my second Bible reading plan and a page in Dr. David Jeremiah's Walking with God devotional.
While I sift through videos for instructionals more so than entertainment I have given up on television. It's been forever since I went to a movie.
I want to help people. So I have done a 24 mile bike ride for a charity. Longest I have ever ridden might have been about 3 miles or so. I have volunteered at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore place.
These come out of renewing of the mind.
Jesus went wherever the Spirit lead Him. Doing whatever the Spirit required of Him. Jesus knows all about what it means to sacrifice His personal desires.
What are you holding onto that's more important to you than this renewing of your mind?
Have you put your career ahead of your relationship with Jesus? Oh my Dear Reader that won't end well.
Have you put your hobbies ahead of your relationship with Jesus? Same deal, not going to end well.
Have you taken the energy and passion that truly belongs to God and placed it upon yourself, on someone else, on something else?
This is part of the will of God for you. This is between you and Jesus.
Have you invited Him into your life only to have Him do nothing in your life that you invited Him in to change?
Jesus is to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life.
Is He? Do you still insist on your own vices?
Go look at that mirror of yours and remind yourself of who Jesus died for in order to not leave you as He found you.
You're never going to know the great and fantastic plans He has for you until you start obeying.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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