Week 32/2024
“A word fitly spoken is like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver” Proverbs 25v11
We constantly make decisions -some are straightforward, but others are life-changing. Unfortunately our feelings and emotions can cloud our judgement with ‘if I think it will make me happy it must be right’. Committed Christians seek God’s Will because they realise wrong decisions have consequences not only in this life, but also for eternity. The Bible tells us how we can know His Will.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” Romans 12v2.
The original Greek word translated ‘transformed’ in our Bibles is ‘metamorphoo’ from which we get the word metamorphosis which describes the amazing and irreversible process by which a caterpillar changes into a pupa and then into a beautiful butterfly. Similarly for us to be transformed, we have to renew our minds from being only concerned with the ‘here and now’ which has ‘me’ as its focus, to a God-centred eternal perspective with Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.
But practically how do we renew our minds? This verse is written to Christians who, though they are spiritually alive, still have their minds, attitudes and emotions influenced by this secular world of materialism, humanism and celebrity worship. Only by a conscious desire to permanently reject the superficial and temporary nature of this world’s moral and value system and replace it with a mind-set based on Biblical values, can we be transformed and thus know God’s Will.
If we are constantly and prayerfully being saturated with God’s Word by reading and studying the Bible, our minds will be renewed, and we will automatically have a Godly-influenced common sense and a Godly-sensitised conscience and thus make good decisions. However, there are times when we need extra special guidance and ‘metamorphosed’ believers will have God’s Will revealed in some or all of the following ways: through a passage of scripture they are reading prayerfully; sometimes when the Holy Spirit prompts us by bringing Scripture verses to our remembrance at the appropriate moment; sometimes the Holy Spirit gives us peace as we continue in a certain direction and sometimes God uses spiritually mature and wise Christians to give guidance.
Part of being ‘metamorphosed’ is to have a teachable and humble spirit which listens and obeys even though the message is not what we want to hear. Never forget we must always test and approve what we are convinced is God’s Will by ensuring it is not in conflict with Biblical teaching. One aspect of God’s Will that is never in doubt though, is His desire for a spiritual awakening in our community and throughout the world.
(God) He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”1 Timothy 2v4
God Bless.
Graeme Greenwood