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. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. --Romans 12:1-2
There is a tension within all of us to change.
On the one hand we see the need for and have a desire to change. This is true about certain things, especially concerning ourselves.
On the other hand, there is a real hesitancy to change. We are uncomfortable with the uncertainties that change may bring.
As a follower of Jesus we want to do right. Yet, there is still the security of the old life. The old life can be seen, felt, touched…we know it and are familiar with it. We have worked all the kinks out…and yet, we also know it wasn’t the correct path to be on.
If we are new to church and even Celebrate Recovery, the pull from our old life can be very strong. After the initial “honeymoon period” wears off, when going to church was exciting and new, the old self settles back in.
You can be sitting in your recliner, watching TV, and then a strong emotional thought overcomes you. This thought might say;
What are you doing? Do you know what your old friends are doing tonight? They aren’t sitting alone watching some rerun of an old comedy show, they are living life! Remember what that was like? Remember the good times? Remember when you lived with no rules? Now you have all these rules to live by that is taking the fun out of life. Are you sure you made the right decision?
These thoughts can be very powerful!
It is times like this when an older, wiser Christian is needed. The importance to have someone to trust and share your heart with is essential to growth. Sometimes moving forward can be so threatening that we generate logical conclusions to keep life familiar and comfortable.
The following is a letter to President Andrew Jackson of the
President Jackson,
The canal system of this country is being threatened by the spread of a new form of transportation known as railroads. The federal government must preserve the canals for the following reasons.
One, if boats are supplanted by railroads, serious unemployment will result. Captains, cooks, drivers, hostlers, repairmen and lock tenders will be left without means of livelihood, not to mention the numerous farmers now employed in growing hay for horses.
Two, boat builders would suffer and towline, whip, and harness makers would be left destitute.
Three, canal boats are absolutely essential to the defense of the
As you may well know, Mr. President, railroad carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by engines which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.
Sincerely Yours,
Martin Van Buren
Governor of
It is easy to laugh at the fear of a train traveling 15mph today. If we were living in 1829, by most accounts, we probably would have argued the same. Governor Van Buren believed what he wrote 100%. In his mind, the arguments proposed to President Jackson were sound, well-reasoned, and the truth.
This is why we have checks and balances in our political system. What is 100% truth to one is nonsense to another, which is further reason we need to renew our minds and seek the council of others if we are seeking after God.
Notice the Apostle Paul FIRST says;
…to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God
This is because in order to make sound spiritual decisions, we have to be free from addictive thought patterns generated by wrong living. Many times our choices are fueled by the desire for personal satisfaction. This addictive drive needs to be detoured first.
Then Paul says,
…be transformed by the renewing of your mind
Only when we have our bodies free of addictive appetites can we see things clearly. It is here we need to fill our minds with truth.
To use the letter above as an example, I may feel very secure in the canal system as a solid form of transportation. It is something I am familiar with because it is all I’ve even known. Now this new idea comes along, trains, and I don’t like it. It makes me feel insecure. Everyone I know also feels the same, yet, I am being asked to think about something new I am not familiar with, the railroads!
It is natural to resist change and to keep our old ways of thinking as right for our lives. Like an immature child who only wants to eat cotton candy for dinner, we also can be as stubborn, especially if we do not want to give up an addiction. Let’s not forget addictions are also relationships, work, hobbies, and areas of life usually not associated with being an addict.
Anyone that thinks addiction is only
sex, drugs, and alcohol is very naive!
In the end, what really matters is a desire for God. This is the real test of a changed heart. We may fight and grumble, but in the end, we know what is right if our hearts have been renewed. We love Jesus…and it is this love, not the pressure to follow rules that will lead us to right living.
We also need the council of wise brothers and sisters in the Lord. Those individuals that have walked the walk for several years, who understand the road ahead and can gently share why arguing for the canal system as the best form of transportation may not be the wisest decision and to stubbornly resist change will make life much more difficult in the future.
Praise God for those discipleship relationships, also known as accountability partners and sponsors that help us keep our bodies and minds holy before the Lord.
--Joe Ventura
1 comment:
Thank you Joe
What God has been saying to me gently lately;
I need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit regardless to how I feel.
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