I love the comfort of a warm cup of tea on a cool autumn morning. When my mind and body are in need of refreshment tea brings a certain security to my day. Of course it helps that this little ritual often leads to opening the Word of God. It's even more wonderful to find that opening the word leads to words about refreshment.
Jeremiah 31:25 "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.”
This week, I truly felt the need for more than refreshment. My heart and mind grew tired and needed renewal. So, I sat on my porch and spoke to the Lord. I think God has a sense of humor. Because he reminded me of an event that illustrated the truth about renewal in such a funny way that I never forgot it.
On the advice of a friend, I committed to ten visits with a chiropractor with "alternative" methods. I went and found each visit wackier than the last.
My most memorable visit involved a colander, a mallet and a very small man sitting in a chair in the corner.
As I waited my turn on a massage table, I overheard the chiro-man say to the very small man, "I am going to hit this metal bowl with a mallet and the vibrations are going to reset your mind."
My jaw dropped in amazement as he gave a sharp rap to the colander.
TWANG!
As the reverb echoed through the room, I burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Let's just say my guffaws and sarcastic remarks were not welcome.
God used this wacky experience to vividly illustrate renewing my mind. I admit to a weird temptation to put my kitchen colander on my head and hit it with a hammer, but the bible has a more effective approach. So grab your bible and your refreshments and let's discover how to refresh, reset and renew our minds!
Romans 12:2
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
Do you see the two commands in this scripture? Underline them and put a slash mark between them.
Like this:
Do not be conformed to this world / But be Transformed by the renewing of your mind. What does it look like to be conformed to this world? Ephesians Four may shed some light on this.
Ephesisans 4:21-23
"If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed int he spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
So what are we to lay aside?
Why are we to do that? What is wrong with it?
Let's look at this practically. When I am tired and weary the old me says:
"People suck, I'm fed up with this."
"Nobody appreciates me."
"God must not be looking my way today."
"I'm just going to watch this trashy show and try to escape."
The old me is like this butterfly we found wedged in the cracks of our fender. Hurt, scared, and desperate.
The problem arrises when I refuse to turn those feelings over the God. I don't let him rescue me.
Instead, I dwell on my poor predicament until I begin to fester with pride, anger, jealousy and rebellion.
Shocking huh? Maybe your old self is not as bad as mine. Maybe it is worse. Regardless the bible tells us it is corrupt. We can't trust anything that is corrupt. We have to walk away from it.
So let's go back to that wacky Chiro-man. He believed with all his heart that the vibrations of that colander were resetting the mind of his patient. What if the bible were our colander? What if we let the vibration of it's truth reverberate in and through us in such a way that our old self fell away and our new self rose up?
Oh the glory of that thought!
So let's look at Ephesians one more time. It tells us what to do!
"Be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
Put on the new self.
Which is in the likeness of God
and has been created in
righteousness
holiness and
truth."
The new me says:
"People are loved by God, I can love in His strength."
"God sees me and loves me, I can do all things through Him."
"I will worship the Lord with gladness for he has done great things for me."
The new me claims that verse we started with in Jeremiah. "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."
Truth
Holiness
Righeousness
These are the refreshments that will truly renew my mind.
So pass the refreshments please!
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