Listen to Audio Devotion
Romans 12:2 (LEB)
And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.
You must have heard in the news about the submarine’s implosion. There was a surge of interest among people when they heard this. At that depth in the sea, the pressure of the sea is such that, there would be no trace of any human remains. What happened was devastating. But, what happened in the book of Nahum and Zephaniah is even more devastating. Well, you do know what happened right? I don’t know about you, but I’ve done more study on deep-water dives in the past week than the truths of the bible.
As we approach the word this morning, it almost seems like the word has taken a backseat in many of our lives, though not all. Even when we went to church yesterday, were we thinking of the truths that must be read, studied, accepted, understood, and believed? Or was it some nice time on a Sunday morning?
Paul in this passage speaks of being “transformed by the renewal of our mind”, that we may know the perfect will of God. We all want God’s will to be done in our lives. In this we can be certain that God’s will for you is to grow in holiness.
It’s popularly assumed that we grow in holiness and spiritual maturity as years pass by us. I can testify to you from what I see around that it’s so not true. Here’s what actually happens:
God sends His Spirit to dwell within us, to change us from the inside out. He convicts us inwardly that some acts are sinful and others, righteous. He works on our will, so that we approve and affirm the things that are just and pure and flee from the things that are evil. Overall, In all that He does, He works on our minds to get to our hearts. If our minds are to be filled with the truth, where does it come from? You know this one very well- it’s the bible.
True living flows from true understanding. Let’s not be satisfied with spiritual babyhood, but let’s grow in maturity both in our worship and in our lives. If someone asked, “Raise your hands if you need to prioritize studying the word of God everyday”, both my hands would be towards the sky. It’s not the experiences of life that brings about maturity. It’s how you deal with those experiences in light of a proper understanding of the truth. That’s what it is. Okay, let’s pray.
Prayer
Oh Lord, forgive us if we’ve given a higher priority to anything above knowing you and growing in your likeness. Set our path straight. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
