Romans 12:2 2Do 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.
It seems like forever ago now, but it was just in January that I played with clay with my grandson, Grant. Of course he had an idea in his 7 year old mind and was going to try to replicate it. Well, the amount of clay that he wanted to fit into the mold was just too much! He pushed, and rolled and pushed and smashed that clay as hard as he could, it was just too much for the mold. Finally, he gave in, changed the idea in his head, and made this beautiful …uhhhh….creation.
As the day went on I kept thinking about that clay, and this verse, above. Remember God has molded us into His image. When we want to add stuff to our lives that has no business being there, it is like stuffing too much clay into a mold. Taking some of the clay, (stuff that has no business being in our lives), out of the mold of ‘us’, the stuff that does not fit the image God made for us, will bring us back into right focus. With the extra ‘clay’ we look wonky and lopsided. We don’t function at peak performance, and we just don’t feel well.
Try removing some of the ‘dross’ from your life. All the junk that churns up when we try to fit too much into the mold. Look at the stuff you are adding and ask; Is this bringing glory to God? Does this fit into the image I want to project for my life? In the time God gives me on this earth, would this really be something worth spending my time on?
If you are honest with yourself and believe after you answered yourself that it is still a valuable time taker, go for it. If it feels more like a time waster, take it out of your ‘mold’ and forget about it. That’s what Grant did, and as you can see from his tooth-less grin, he was much happier with the result.
When God gives us instructions like those above in the scripture, it is not to decrease our fun, but increase our success. He always has our best in his heart! Just like Grant, removing can make the result even better!
So, it’s time to examine yourself. Are there activities that have made you stressed? Maybe that is one you don’t need to return to. Are there activities that seem to have no purpose? Maybe they did once, but, now their value is gone. Maybe it’s time to drop that one. We change on a pretty regular basis. Things that once were necessary, or of value to us, may not be so necessary now. Before I return to all of the activities and meetings I went to before corona, I am re-evaluating and changing a few things. It is a very beneficial process to re-new your mind, kind of a ‘spring cleaning’ for our business!
Tell me, are you transforming into God’s image, or conforming into the world’s likeness?
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