Do Not Be Conformed - Romans 12

Good morning.

Taking a moment to traverse down a different path this Monday.

I received an email today that really hit home with me.  I wanted to share it directly to social media, but it's too long.  So, I'm going to share it here.

I hope it resonates with you as well.  Great points to remember, as we let our thoughts take control of us sometimes, when maybe we shouldn't.

I guess God was trying to nail down this exact point to me earlier and into my finite, small human brain, as I laid in there in bed thinking about current events and past memories. Not only did the email I'm about to share arrive in my Inbox, but Proverbs 31 Ministries - at close to the same time - posted this on their social media channels on the exact same subject:

We cannot afford to ignore, pacify or play with our detrimental thoughts. We are encouraged to destroy them. Leave no trace of evidence that they existed.

In Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, he used aggressive language to describe how believers in Christ are to deal with our thoughts. The words “demolish” and “captive” in 2 Corinthians 10:5 illustrate the seriousness of the battle raging in our minds.

In moments when we are bullied by our thoughts, we can ask ourselves:

Is this thought supported in God’s Word?

If the thought cannot be backed by Scripture, we can ask a second question:

Is there a Scripture that refutes this thought?

This is a hard practice to adopt consistently, but I am determined to embrace Paul’s admonishment.

We do not have to be victims of our thoughts, powerless to control them. We can combat untrue thoughts with the Word of God, who has also gifted counselors, pastors and trusted friends to come alongside us if we need help along the way. We are equipped to demolish and take captive every lie that stands in opposition to the knowledge of God.

Enough said.

I should know better.  But I'm human and still in the grieving process, so I'll allow myself a little grace over this year.  Note that Paul specifically said we are to demolish and take captive our thoughts, so I'll keep pushing through these valley moments. Because he said to.

Here is a little part of the email I received this morning.  I know there are those of you out there that read my writings, and I know you are grieving and hurting.  I know there are days where there is just no escape from the thoughts of the past or how we will make it to the "future."  What does our future even look like now?  But we are just going to have to hold on and trust in a loving God.

Others may have made the decision to leave us, but God Himself said He never would.  So while your faith in humanity may have escaped you for this moment in time or your trust levels may have dropped to an all-time low, try to pin that very precise thought of GOD saying He would never leave you somewhere in the furthest corners of your mind and then cling to it for dear life.  We are going to make it friends.  I promise.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”

(Romans 12:2).

The day may not go the way you want it to, not according to your plan. The plan to do this or do that may not be accomplished. The desire to be measured by standards of this world may not be fulfilled. But daughter, I don’t care about those things. I look to your heart. I care about the rich beauty held there, the depth of feeling and caring beyond yourself and your own desires, which only I can measure.

I have written you. I have created this heart of yours. I have created your mind and I know your personality, your will, the way you think about yourself, how you measure yourself, how you assess whether you rise or fall. And I have not made you to measure yourself. I have not made you to judge your worth. I have not made you to think so much about whether or not you are good or you are bad, you are successful or you have failed.

You are My girl. You are My daughter. You are the created one. You are created to point to Me, give honor to Me, worship Me. And because this is how you are made, this is what will bring you joy. This is the only thing that will end the striving, end the attempt to be a different person than whom I’ve created, so perfectly, so intently. 

Trying to live your life in step with the rhythm of this world rather than the way I have made you will bring exhaustion, ultimately, to your heart. Let it sing and have room to breathe and be fulfilled! My love will fill you; it will fill your heart, if you want it to. So, put your hand upon your heart. Feel the beating rhythm I have created. It is rhythm of Home, of freedom, of rescue, of a life you were designed, by My breath to live.

*Excerpt above courtesy of The Loop - Ministry for Women.