IBS: New Eyes

Ephesians 4:23—

And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds

In verse 22 Paul explains the negative side of becoming a new creation (putting off your old self) but in verse 23 we see the positive transformation of believing and following Christ.

Colossians 3:9-10 says “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

We are instructed to be bold. Go to those who have yet to put off their old self and let them see your renewed heart. Show the world that you are an image of your Creator. Colossians also tells us not to be taken captive by philosophy or empty deceit. If you want to be renewed be renewed in the image of Jesus, not the image of science or of man. Before I made the decision to follow Jesus I searched for things to devote my time to; causes to support, beliefs to follow, people to speak light into my life; I was searching for something of this world to renew my mind. I went in and out of phases quickly, because everything here on earth is shallow, and self-centered. When you follow things of the flesh you will be sure to come up empty. To be renewed in the image of Christ you remove the body of flesh. Once you are removed, you’ve put off your old self, the next step is to align yourself with your new identity.

The transformation of Christians is an ongoing process, but I assure you, it is far from monotonous. Gods mercies are new every morning!

When your mind is renewed by Christ it’s like you’re given new eyes. You’re able to wake up in the morning and count new blessings. You begin to gain a whole new perspective. The more you meditate on Gods word, and the more you talk with Him and walk with Him the more you are enlightened and strengthened to see what God has for you and stay in His perfect will, and even better, the more you spend time with Him, the more in love you fall with Him.

I need to remember that I have been made new! I am a new creation, and I need to show that through my actions. I need to wake up in the morning, thank the Lord for his new mercies, and then spend every moment that day loving Jesus in a way that is so loud even those who stop up their ears car hear it!

Luke 10:27—And he answered, “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all you mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

All this aside—I have things that I hold onto and allow to hold me back. I need to let go of them and give them to God because He desires to make me new. I know that if I gave Him everything that is ugly about me, and gave Him all my shame, He would take all of that and make something beautiful out of it. If I would “put off” the way I view myself and let Jesus transform my eyes I know I would be so much more useful towards the furthering of the kingdom. 

8/30/11