A Renewing

January was a great month of renewing for my spirit, my body and my mind. I had planned to take a few days at the beginning of the month to focus on my roles as a Christian woman, a wife, a mom & a part-time professional. My purpose was to try to realign my focus and streamline my daily to do's. God took those few days along with the rest of January to show me so much more. 
As I was evaluating my roles as a Christian woman, God showed me that other things were taking up too much of His time. I was allowing ample time for TV & internet but not spending enough time studying His Word. It takes time to go deeper in God's Word and to listen to what he's trying to speak to me. I couldn't do that in the few minutes that I had set aside each morning. As I looked at my role as a wife, God showed me that I needed to spend more time praying for my husband and being his support. It takes godly wisdom to know when to listen, when to encourage, and when to speak truth in love.  As a mom, God has given me the great responsibility to train and discipline the children He has given to me. Sometimes I was allowing behaviors to continue that shouldn't because it was "too hard"  or "too exhausting" to confront an issue. At times I chose temporal peace over eternal training. In my part-time work I was taking on too many assignments and allowing the stress to affect my relationships with the rest of the family. Even though my intention was to work extra to benefit the family it was having the opposite affect. I was trying to "help" God provide for our family. I knew I needed to set aside certain days for doing assignments and not let it interfere with my real job as a wife & mom.

While January was a time of focus and renewing of my purpose, God has shown me that as a Christian renewing my mind should happen every day.  Romans 12:1-2 says:

"I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living scrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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."

This passage confirms for me that in order to follow God's will for my life, I need to know what His will for me looks like. And that will can only be known when I read His Word and allow Him to change me. This is not externally focused change. This is inside-out transformation. We are called to be "Christians whose consciences, minds, and inner man is captive to the Word of God because the Christian life flows from a renewed inner man".

This passage also shows me that I have not been giving God whole-life worship. I need to give myself totally to Him. That means every thought, every action, every word, and every want need to be given to God. I need to die to myself and surrender it all to Christ. Dying to self is not just a one-time thing when we get saved. It is a daily choice to die to our flesh and follow Christ. He doesn't want just our heart. He wants ALL of us.

So in 2012, my goal is to spend each day glorifying God in everything that I do.