Feb 10, 2011 Maturity, the Mind, and Memory Verses
Originally posted on March 17, 2006
“ be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is.” Romans 12:2
Will we ever fully understand the brain? God gave us a marvelous muscle capable of mental activity that keeps us alive and directs the way we live. The mind is the ability of the brain to think, reason and decide. It is also, according to the Bible, the key to our spiritual growth and our key to doing the will of God.
God wants us to be transformed. He said the way to transformation is by renewing the mind. This is another way of saying that we change the way we feel, desire, speak, and act by renewing the way we think.
Mind renewal that leads to spiritual maturity is supernatural. God’s Spirit transforms us by God’s word in us. Mind renewal is the work of God’s Spirit taking the word of God and changing the way we think about things. When our thinking about things is being transformed, we find that our desires and actions change as well.
That’s where Scripture memory comes in. Memorizing Bible verses is one great way to get truth in our minds so we can have our thinking renewed and our lives transformed. When we memorize Scripture we are working with God’s Spirit and God’s word to bring about real change in our lives.
Romans 8 is full of life changing truth. I have personally confronted fear, weakness, depression, temptation, doubt, and a host of other things with its truth. I have prayed better, loved more, and worked harder because of it. I have more confidence in God by meditating on it. Memorizing and meditating on Romans 8 is changing my life.
Our church is memorizing Romans 8 this year. Some of you already feel guilty about not keeping up with (or not even starting) the verses. I hope you’ll let that go. This is not a competition. No grades will be given. You are not judged or approved by the number of verses you memorize. This is simply an opportunity for us help each other become transformed by the renewing of our minds.
If you’re keeping up with Romans 8, keep it up, but don’t get proud. If you’re behind, try to catch up, but don’t get overwhelmed. If you are just starting out, jump in with this week’s verse and be transformed.
Pastor Scott