2020 Vision: Renewing

Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling

Continuing our series on how to navigate what lies ahead with 2020 vision, the fifth element of spiritual clarity is renewing. I had formulated my list for this yearlong series in December (well before COVID-19 was a thing). Now it seems that taking our thoughts captive and renewing our minds is even more relevant in these stressful days of social-distancing and travel restriction mandates. We wake each morning to a barrage of anxiety-producing news that if absorbed into our psyche can cause us to be fearful and distracted. Still, the challenges we face are not unique to humankind. Two thousand year ago, during the early years of the burgeoning church, famine and plagues devastated much of the Mediterranean basin. Even prior to the outbreak, Christians were being persecuted by both the Romans and conservative Jews for their outspoken beliefs. It was under this intense milieu that Paul wrote a letter to the churches in the Roman province to inspire them to stay on course with the maturation of their faith:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 ESV

Paul precedes this exhortation by calling Christians to offer their bodies as living sacrifices (their spiritual act of worship). If we assume that Paul is developing a train of thought, then self-sacrifice is key to transforming worldly thinking with God’s truth. So how do we do it? Paul provides us a couple of clues from this passage and from two other letters of his. First, in verse 3, Paul reminds us that it is a grace journey that can only be traveled by those who use sober judgment:

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3 ESV

Paul is telling us that if we think too highly of ourselves, we will fail to use sober judgment which is the foundation for discerning God’s good and perfect will. In other words, if we are proud and think we know what is best, then it will be impossible to navigate life’s opportunities and challenges under God’s direction and blessings. Since all of us struggle with pride, Paul starts this three-verse exhortation with the call to keep offering ourselves as a sacrifice to God. How? Dying and rising to our selfish desires. In more tangible terms, we need to follow the spiritual rhythm of repenting and reconciling (as addressed in my March and April newsletters). But it is impossible to do this by are own efforts. We need the Counselor who intercedes on our behalf:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26 ESV

As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, he will humble our hearts and aid us in discerning God’s good and perfect will—that we might refute the lofty opinions of the world:

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthian 10:5-6 ESV 

Lastly, Paul challenges us to replace worldly thoughts with godly ones:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 ESV

Paul identifies one other source of help, the community of believers. In the above text, Paul challenges the church at Philippi to follow his good example. Having walked out his faith over several decades, which has led him to a prison in Rome, Paul has had plenty of opportunity to offer his body as a living sacrifice and to renew his mind with God’s good and perfect will. He has learned how to take his thoughts captive by replacing negative worldly thinking with that which is honorable, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praise worthy. And now he offers his good example to the community of believers. We all need “Paul’s” in our lives to provide a flesh-and-blood example of how to renew our minds—particularly during these difficult times.