Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think: then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
When it comes to what is going on in the world and in our lives, there must be some sort of process when we receive information, think about what we are told and then form an opinion. With an election imminent we will be receiving lots of information which will give us much to think about (if we so choose) with the eventual outcome meaning we reach a decision on what party to vote for or maybe even decide not to vote at all. We never get an election where everyone votes for the same party, or everyone abstains from voting which just demonstrates that we all think differently.
In work life and in daily life I have frequently wondered why some folks resist changing the way they do things and the way they think about certain elements in their lives. I believe in many cases, it is down to a perceived risk or fear. It may be the risk of attracting attention, the risk of having to admit they had previously been wrong about something, the risk of being mocked, the risk of taking a different direction from the group or groups of which they are a part and possibly even the risk of parting ways from a person or persons previously regarded as a great friend/friends.
Changing the way we think is not always an easy option but today’s passage from scripture tells us that we have to allow God to make changes in our lives and to resist means we are resisting the will of God. The closer we get to our heavenly Father, the more often we will question the choices we have previously been making and realise the Spirit is pushing us to do something different and look for a better option. It gives us decisions to make and, guided by the Holy Spirit, we will know the right thing to do which will not always be the easiest choice but it will always be the right choice. We need to be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit that it is working upon us and listen for that ‘still small voice’ and give in to it.
Prayer
Lord, renew our minds so that our thoughts, desires, and decisions reflect what you would have us do and how you would have us be. Free us from the patterns that drain our hopes or distort our aims. Shape us into folks who see clearly what is good, pleasing, and aligned with your will. Give us courage to live differently, to choose compassion over comfort, truth over convenience, and faith over fear. Transform us from the inside out, so that our lives become offerings that honour you. Amen.
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