Ever wonder if God is trying to send you a message directly? I am an individual that is very structured, very detail oriented and very "follow the rule" minded. The other day, I went to mail a package and the entire strip center was empty except for one car. It was parked directly in front of the mail store. The problem was that it was parked between the lines. Ugh! I decided that I was going to park closer to the street but further from the front door and I was parking between the lines like I was supposed to. As I was thinking that, other cars entered the parking lot and another parked by the mail store also...outside the lines!! I gave up. There was no need for me to park farther when I could park next to them outside the lines. So I did.
Earlier this week, our church hosted a Ladie's Ministry Event called Color Outside the Lines in which the theme verse was Romans 12:1-2. Last night, I overheard my son on the phone telling someone that he wanted to be upset but the key scriptures in Collision Groups were out of Romans 12. This morning as I proceeded to do my devotion, the scripture portion was Romans 12.
So I have to ask, am I missing something? The "renewing of my mind feels so good" there is so much joy in being in God's Word. I have been so overwhelmed with feeling God's presence and yet there is always more. I love the way Charles Stanley put it:
"The gradual change involved in renewal is not the same for everyone so there is no formula for replacing the old with the new. The Lord knows exactly what your trouble spots are however, and He will make you sensitive to areas of your thought life that need His attention. What you must do continually is to choose truth over error and deliberately set your mind to the task of meditating on His word."
I love those words "continually choose" and "deliberately set your mind to". It takes effort to change our way of thinking, it takes effort to continually make the choice to stay in God Word and to do it deliberately.
It took everything I had to change my thinking...in my mind, I was breaking the rules. I had a choice, conform to parking between the lines and park further; or transform my thinking and park closer but outside the lines.
I felt good as I walked into the store-I didn't conform. Sometimes when we choose not to conform to the way of the world, we are the only ones left standing and you guessed it...both those ladies left before I did as I was walking out to my car parked between the lines, I had to smile when I heard the next customer bad mouthing the driver that didn't know how to park in a parking space.
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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. They you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
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