The Mind of Christ

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Conform - to be in accordance or harmony with. Transform - to change the nature of. Paul says to not live in accordance to this world, but have our very nature changed by the renewing of our minds. I'm pondering the renewing of my mind. How do I begin to do such a thing. Look back at verse one for the answer. Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship." Sacrifice - surrender something prized or desirable. Surrender - to give oneself up. So let's put it all together. Offering my body as a living sacrifice to God means giving up my own pride in thinking I can change my nature by training myself to think like God. In some ways it would be so much easier for me to just follow a list of dos and don'ts and keep myself accountable. However, in 1 Corinthians 2:11 Paul gives us a clear picture of why we cannot be in charge of our own mind renewal. "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." If my goal is to think like God, I need to have a personal relationship with Jesus so that my thoughts can become more like His thoughts. With Jesus living in me, I can let the Spirit of God renew my mind so that I may be transformed into the perfect creation God intended me to be. It's a journey! "'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:16

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Blessed Assurance

Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth , nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This verse just makes me want to shout, "AMEN!" But isn't it frustrating how Satan knows exactly where to hit us to make us doubt? And then he is so good at kicking us while we are down. I, unfortunately, had this experience very recently. I was feeling a little worried about a particular situation and then Satan pounced and made me feel like an enormous loser. He was feeding me lies that he knew I would believe, because they are the same lies I always fall for. Thankfully, I was able to spend some time with God in quiet solitude. I was reminded that no matter what Satan throws at me, I will never be separated from the love of God because I have Christ Jesus...

Mercy and Compassion

Jude 22-23 Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. This is something I have struggles with, loving those who frustrate me. How can we be merciful to those who are "corrupt" without being judgmental? It is definitely not our place to judge one another, it is our place to love one another. Sometimes loving the people who are rude or cruel is the hardest part of being a Christian. My humanity would like to judge people for their behaviors and choices and lash out at them. I believe we are only able to show true mercy and compassion for others when we accept these for ourselves from Jesus and then He lives them through us. Allowing God to change our hearts in order that Jesus' mercy and compassion shine through is a journey. It's not always easy. On those difficult days, I remain quiet and ask God to love on me, so I...

His Strength

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. I was prompted to read this verse and it was perfect for today, of course. All of Psalm 100 is praise to God. For me today, I am praising God because He was faithful in something He had revealed to me a while ago. Let me explain. Have you ever asked God for His strength? Not just strength, but His strength. This is something that I was prompted to do about a year ago, not to just ask for strength in general, but to specifically request His strength to be given to me. I know it sounds a little like a bit of rhetoric, but keep reading. In requesting God's own strength, I have noticed something tremendous has happened each time. When God bestows His strength within me, it is so much more than just endurance. His strength comes with clarity of mind, lightening of the spirit, and a depth of inner joy that cannot help ...

Abbie Coffey

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