“Think About It!”

“. . . 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 12:2 NASB). Ancient words for contemporary times. How often we hear believers say, “I just wish I knew God’s will for my life.” The temptation often rises to expect God to reveal His entire plan for our journey of faith. “If I just knew for sure, I wouldn’t be wasting time and energy on things that only delay my discovery of God’s will.”

The late Oswald Chambers wrote that when our minds are so focused on the end and not day-by-day obedience to God’s principles for living we often misunderstand our proper relationship with the Lord. To Chambers, the means and the end were the same! He was convinced that our daily trust in and obedience to God’s desire for our hearts and our conduct was the sum total of our responsibility. The end, said Chambers, remains incidental. “Let God take care of the results of our faithfulness,” Chambers would say.

I think Chambers has something here. How often do we seemingly know what God has in store for us only to find ourselves in completely different circumstances at day’s end? I have wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, social worker, athlete, and who knows what else. Becoming a pastor never seemed an option. I never thought God would ever allow such a dream to come true. But there came a time when I simply decided to obey Him in the every day events of life and trusted His promise to guide my way. But it remains easier to talk about than pull it off. Perhaps we might begin by taking God’s Word to heart. In the quote above, the Apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome. In the first eleven chapters he has painted a beautiful, but challenging portrait of God’s grand scheme for humankind. Part of our response includes protecting ourselves from assimilating into our culture’s worldview. We are to be transformed, Paul writes, partly by the renewing of our minds. Being different begins with thinking differently.

A self-hypnotic process of magic thinking transforms no one. God Himself transforms us as we follow His principles for life. So what might Paul mean by his admonition to renew our minds? He gives us more guidance in his letter to the Galatians: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Galatians 4:8).

Again, ancient words for contemporary times. Think about it!

I believe in you because I believe in Him . . .
Pastor Fred

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