YouTube: Renewal of Your Mind
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
What does it mean to be conformed to this world? How does one go about renewing the mind? And finally, what practical reason do we have for even considering such questions?
Many people carry the feeling that there must be more to life than they are experiencing. Regardless of what they achieve or how many things they accumulate, the feeling persists. Some describe it as a sense of hollowness at their very core.
Paul was writing to those who were beginning to understand that the thing they are seeking is not material, but spiritual. This change of understanding represents a shift in one’s worldview. It does not suggest that we turn our backs on the material side of life, but that we learn to keep it in the proper perspective. The only way to really learn this is to commit to a deeper experience of your spiritual core.
Anyone who has tried to quiet the mind and find inner stillness knows how quickly our thoughts take off in countless directions. With practice, however, we can gradually begin to succeed. With each success, our commitment deepens, as we see the value in experiencing the inner peace we are finding. This is the key. You will not pursue this practice just because someone says you should. You pursue it as you learn the value of doing so. As that gnawing feeling that something is missing begins to diminish, you come to your quiet times with joy and renewed expectation.
To say that we are spiritual beings inhabiting a physical body is not intended to undermine our material side. The problem lies in the fact that we have conformed to this world – the body and its endless concerns – by giving it the bulk of our attention. As we gradually bring our focus to our spiritual side, we begin to find a natural balance between soul and body, a welcome transformation produced by the renewal of our mind.