I came across this quote in Sheila Walsh’s book It’s Okay Not to Be Okay. In regards to Romans 12:1-2 she says:
“You might be tempted to ask,
‘What’s wrong with my mind?’ You’re smart, well educated, and computer savvy,
with endless information at your fingertips—quite different than the audience
Paul wrote to. The problem is not a lack of information; it’s a lack of
renewal. We live in a fallen world, which means our minds are fallen too. We
were made to worship, but unless our minds have been renewed, we don’t worship
God, we worship what we want. The question remains, How do you renew your mind?
The word renewal found in Romans 12:2 occurs only one other place in the Greek
New Testament [in Titus 3:5], and it gives me great hope that this process is
not something you and I can do by ourselves. We can’t. We need the Holy
Spirit.”
She’s right—we can’t renew our own minds. Another sermon,
another Bible study, another Sunday school class won’t cause us to be
“transformed by the renewal of [our] mind” apart from the sovereign work of the
Holy Spirit. As our pastor often reminds us, this is supernatural stuff we’re
dealing with. We need to pray for ourselves and for our friends and family that
God will do the work in our hearts and minds to make us receptive to His Word.
There are people who might be considered experts in the
Scriptures. A recent book review on The Gospel Coalition raised the question of whether we can
benefit from a non-Christian’s translation and commentary on the Old Testament.
The answer is only to a limited extent. Without the work of God to connect us
to the Messiah revealed throughout Scripture, all we are gaining is head
knowledge. There are plenty of other people who struggle to read and understand
the words in their Bibles, but they absorb all that they can because God has
given them a thirst for Himself.
As we think about the programs and events we offer through
our church, we need to bathe them in prayer, asking for the Holy Spirit to
guide us to the right programs and the right message, but more importantly to
work in the hearts of those who might attend. It is easy to get into a routine
of doing the same things we’ve always done and not praying about it. We may
wonder why people aren’t engaged in learning or why they seem so lackadaisical
about their faith. But are we actually praying specifically for God to work in
them? It doesn’t work to provide information without transformation by the
Spirit. Certainly there are things we can do or not do that may facilitate
learning, but the best teaching in the world will not change hearts or
transform lives.
I’ve been convicted about this lately, because I can become
judgmental about people who may not be at the same point in their walk with
God. But as I look back over my own life, I remember the times when I was
relatively disengaged from church and resistant toward where God was leading
me. I had plenty of Bible knowledge, but it took a work of God to change my
heart. Now I need to be reminded to pray for such a work in others’ lives.
So long as we are operating in our own strength and wisdom,
we shouldn’t expect God to bless our efforts. I see an awful lot of churches
that appear to be just going through the motions without really seeking God’s
will and without praying for God’s work in individuals. Our fruitfulness is
dependent on God’s power. Let us be diligent in praying for hearts and minds to
be transformed and for lives that will abide in the Vine.
“I am the vine; you are
the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 ESV).
© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise
indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions
stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.
