The Way to a Renewed Mind

“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.” Romans 12:1-2

What we think and what really is, sometimes are not in sync - we want to think God is in control, but the truth is, we are really running the show. In her book, Beyond Ourselves, Catherine Marshall writes of spiritual renewal:

“One morning I was particularly discouraged. I was caught between all my blessings - a wonderful husband, three lovely children at home and a fourth in and out, a big new house, and my daily writing. I was quite frankly, exhausted. So once more we took the situation to God....‘Lord, we’ve tried everything we can think of. Every road has seemed a dead end....Tell us what it is -.’”

God showed her that she was “dictating the terms” of her life. “A thought stabbed me. What if - for this period of my life - I was supposed to give up the writing? Immediately this possibility brought tears. Why should I have to relinquish something which I had from the beginning dedicated to God - and something from which I also got such intense satisfaction?”

Resolutely, she submitted her desires to God. “Though my emotions were in stark rebellion, I knew that sooner or later they would fall into line. When the relinquishment was complete, the breakthrough occurred.”

The way to a renewed mind is the way of submission. When we submit our desires to Christ, He transforms our will and prepares us for a great blessing. To renew our mind means we adopt a changed attitude and see things from God’s perspective.