Renewal

My husband has been on a campaign recently to renew old acquaintances and friendships. He’s much better at keeping in touch than I am, so I appreciate that about him. It’s fun to catch up with people that we haven’t seen in years. Since we’ve lived in many places over our lifetime, we have friends scattered far and near. Today we phoned dear friends from Connecticut. Oh, the memories that surface from such a conversation.

Some renewals are great. Some I could do without. Like those pesky magazine renewal reminders. Or requests to review and renew information from the doctors’ offices. That would be OK if we didn’t have so many to deal with. It’s good that we get reminded to renew library books. Otherwise we’d end up with lost books or big fines.

What’s been renewed for you lately? Or what needs to be renewed? Your mind? Yes, we could all use that. Mine gets a little cluttered, a little sluggish, a little confused, a little overwhelmed. For some of you, life just gets too busy. For those of us who are old, we just get tired. Maybe it’s time to clean house, mentally speaking.

I’m thinking of Romans 12:2 today. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Here’s how it’s worded in the J. B. Phillips translation:  “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.“

So what are the pressures bearing down on you these days? Wouldn’t it be good to let go of the outward influences of the world, and have your thinking reshaped (renewed) by the Spirit of God? That comes from being saturated by the Word of God and listening to His whisperings. Of course that takes time. But don’t you think it’s worth it?