“And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”—Romans 12:2
God’s kindness to us is demonstrated
by the fact that He doe not leave us in the condition we were in before coming
to faith. How tragic it would be if we
still thought, felt, and acted the same way we did before receiving Christ as
our Savior. Throughout our lives, the
Lord uses His choice tools to shape us into the image of His son.
Prayer—by
talking to the Lord in open dialogue, we develop a relationship with Him. He becomes not just our Savior, but our
friend, and as the intimacy grows, so will our passion to be with Him. Setting aside time for prayer each day will
become a delight, not a duty.
God’s
Word—you can not grow in your Christian life if you keep the Bible closed
all week long. No one lives on one meal
a week, or even the memory of that meal, yet many Christians try to get by with
just a Sunday dinner of the Word served up by their pastor. How can we expect God’s truth to do its
transforming work if we never let it into our minds and hearts?
The
Church—Christ uses His body of believers as a place for
transformation. Not only do their gifting
have a place in our lives, but the rough edges of our character are
smoothed. It is a place of instruction,
accountability, and encouragement.
Are you letting the Lord to use His
character-shaping tools in your life?
Our culture has no shortage of worldly voices and pressures that fill
minds and influence behavior. Only when
we intentionally schedule time for God, His Word, and His people, can Christ do
His transforming work in our lives.
Praying—Father
I thank You for using Your tools to shape my life, and I purpose to allow You
to use me to help someone else, in Jesus Name. Amen.
