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Do not conform to the pattern of this world,

But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

~Romans 12:2     

 

Good morning dear sister!

The weather might not be as glorious today as it was a couple of days ago, but isn’t it great to wake up to another day? God’s gift to us! I pray that we may live it to His glory!

The last couple of months have been a season of busy indoor activity for me. When those two wonderful days of nearly 70 degree temps came I couldn’t keep myself indoors any longer! I abandoned everything I was working on in the house and stepped outside into the balmy air!  

Oh! Heaven! I literally felt life and strength filling me as if the sunshine was energizing my body! I grabbed a rake and raked up all the twigs and cones that had fallen from our Suessian tamarack and the leaves that had blown into our yard. 

As I worked I began to feel peace and a quietness of mind that seems all too rare these days. I began to notice what kinds of birds were chirping, the direction of the breeze and how the grass beneath my feet was starting to wake up. I saw some snowdrops poking through autumn’s leaves and the fresh green stalks of iris emerging from the soil. 

New life springing up from underneath the old dead stuff.  

Isn’t that a wonderful picture of how the Lord renews our spirits? Even when we may be experiencing the winter of our souls, God is busy pouring new life into our spirits, bringing us into a constant renewal! 

But getting to today’s verse, why does Scripture tell us to not be conformed to the pattern of this world? Think about it, what is the pattern of this world in which we live? We are constantly bombarded with news, and most of it is troubling. Wars, rumors of wars, murders, disease, robbery, natural disasters, famine. It seems like the Gospel is the only good news! (Thank you Lord!)

To be conformed means to allow yourself to be socially or emotionally formed by your surroundings, i.e. the people you hang out with. We experience conforming when we gravitate to like minded people. Then, we reinforce each other’s way of thinking which bears fruit in our actions and emotions, for better or for worse!

Conforming to the world is neither good nor healthy in God’s eyes. If it were, why would He tell us to not conform? Why would He tell us to be transformed? How do we achieve the transformation that God desires? 

God tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I believe that one reason that I felt so refreshed when I was outside, even though I was working hard, was that I stepped away from the clamour of news and opinions that strangle my spirit and allowed God to enter in.

Instead of listening to music, I listened for God’s creation. Instead of listening to a podcast, I listened for God’s still, small voice. As I appreciated the wonder, beauty and rhythms of His creation, I felt relieved of the stress of busyness, worries and fear of the future. I found myself smiling as I worked. Remembering the day of my salvation, I even laughed! And then I laughed again because I had laughed!

The verse ends with “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” His will for us is to be happy in Him, to take pleasure in Him, to trust Him, to rest in Him. 

When we commit our focus in life to conforming to His will, we may not be laughing all the time (or perhaps we will, I do know someone like that!), but for sure, we won’t be worrying about all the things in this world gone wrong. We will keep our gaze steady on the One who has already made all things right!

God holds our future, we need worry not. So, the next time you reach for your daily, (hourly?) podcast, why not ask the Lord first if He has a message for you? Allow a fresh breeze from the Holy Spirit to beckon new life to spring up from under all that old, dead stuff! You will find true refreshment for your soul!

Be blessed my sister! Keep loving Jesus and moving forward!

With love, your sister, Celeste