In last week’s blog, I talked about shaking off the winter blues by drawing near to God. Apparently the Monday just gone was ‘blue Monday’. I’m not sure whether designating a day in this way is helpful or not. Such labels can become a constraint and help us to justify that feeling of wanting to stay under the duvet!
One of the great truths of the gospel is that we no longer have to ‘conform’ to the pattern of the world, but we can be ‘transformed’. Great news, isn’t it? However there is a condition: this only happens when we live in the ‘renewing of our minds’. (See Romans 12:2.) It’s something we have to be intentional about; the pull of worldly conformity is great, and our quest for godly transformation is constantly under bombardment. The renewal of the mind is a lifetime process and a daily challenge. For those who seriously pursue it, the rewards are great: sensitivity to the Holy Spirit (who helps us in our quest) brings us counsel and encouragement. An increased awareness of the pattern and example of Jesus, and a hunger for his word, help us to live with purpose, love, grace and a sense of destiny. Those who seek God the Father with priority and confidence that he will complete the good work in us (Philippians 1:6) are less likely to be side-tracked by the pull of the world.
So which label will we wear today? One that is dictated to by the filter of our surroundings? Or the one that declares ‘under divine transformation’; not perfected yet, but definitely in training!