Saturday, June 27, 2009

Switch Your Thinking... Toward Life, Abundant

I have a water bottle that advertises three companies’ alliance in saving energy and natural resources. It has a slogan plastered over it: “Switch your thinking! A small change can make a big difference.”

It’s amazing that a secular collective can hit on such a spiritual monster.

In his master epistle to the Romans, Paul urges them practically:

“Don’t copy the behavior 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” –Romans 12:2 (NLT).
In one swift movement we confound the wiles of the enemy--as to the so-called material ‘fruit’ and morals in and of this world--and turn our minds (switch our thinking) about face. We in effect, repent. Metanoia is the Greek-based name meaning to repent, which essentially means to ‘change our thinking or mind.’ It’s the transformation of the heart.

And when we do this we open ourselves up to the transformation that a wondrous God can bring. When this occurs, changing our old and bad habits--the ones we’ve tried to shake for years--doesn’t become so horribly difficult, because we have divine help. Our minds are renewed and suddenly we feel anything is possible. We, in God’s name, are creators of our own destinies.
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God starts communicating with us in this transformed state and he enlightens us to the things he wishes we transform for ourselves, with the help of the Holy Spirit. We can at last see the real purpose in life; the purpose we’ve always searched for.

Indeed, getting back to that secular-originated message on my water bottle, a small change can make a big difference. Ask yourself, what’s in it for this guy (that’s me) to talk about God all the time?

I want you to have what I’ve got. It’s the most beautiful thing to have a beautiful mind, full of the treasures of God--a garden of love, full of truth and light--a mind after the truly compassionate heart of God.

And God wants that for you as much as he ever wanted it for me. He seeks you and will never give up. He is yours already. It’s simply a matter of acceptance. He is a free gift.

You can receive him, today. He waits for you. And all his angels in heaven have baited breath waiting to rejoice in your home coming! This life is not ho-hum; it’s truly amazing.

Copyright © 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved.

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