Renewing Your Mind – An On Going Project

“A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel” (Pro. 1:5)

Hey Gang: One day as I was traveling to make a speech, I asked God to give me something new, vibrant and alive that I could share with the group.  Shortly,  I stopped at a Burger King  and noticed a movie promo advertising Star Wars that had the following saying on the bottom, “Your choices, determine your destiny”. 

That hit my hot button.  Continuing my travel I sensed God saying to me “There is a prerequisite to that statement that is the driving and determining force, “Your VALUES determine your choices and your choices determine your destiny”.   

What you think determines what you do?   The mind is a terrible thing to waste.  No kidding!  But mere knowledge isn’t going to remedy the situation.  A lot of brilliant people have done some pretty stupid stuff.  Our minds don’t need more information to get it right.  The Word says, “Our minds need transformation”. (Romans 12:2)  The only one who can enter our hearts and transform our minds is God.

I have been struggling with a problem recently and finally threw in the towel and said, “Okay, God, I give up.  I know I cannot get this thing straight in my head.  And I believe God’s response was  “Wow”, “I can’t believe it – you are finally getting smart.”  Why don’t you just relax and do it Paul’s way, as found in Colossian 3.  "Die to self, put off those things that are offensive to God, fill your heart with the gifts of the Spirit and then relax and let me handle the problem."

When dealing with the alligator-up-to-the-arm pit problems that come into our lives far too often, do we not seek solutions to those problems in our human strength?  Unfortunately, we all, too, often find our solutions with a 'sorry Charlie', attached to them. 

Jesus was very clear when he warned, “If you do not fill the vacuum in your chest cavity that is just the size of God,  Satan will tromp with his hob nailed boots.  Self-help books or guru’s are not going to help, hard work is just what is says – hard work.  There is only one way out of the closet of pain and agony – Father God! 

Soooo, good buddies, God must change our minds in every detail (don’t expect it to happen over night – it takes time)  You aren’t a passive part of the mind  renewal process.  First, you must invite Him to do His work.  Then, once you have “learned the truth that is in Jesus….there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes” (Eph. 4:21/23).   Paul made it very clear in  Romans `12:2 “But let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

Blessings,

Gramps