Renewing your mind daily

[Jami West]

Good evening! I hope you are enjoying September...it's already halfway over with!!

Renewing my mind daily is something that I struggle with. It is so easy to compare myself with others and to get discouraged. We are told to take up our cross daily and to constantly renew our minds. In actually doing this, it allows us to really focus on Jesus and become more Christ-like each day.

 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded islife and peace. Romans 8:6  

 Is it just me or have you also noticed that keeping your head and heart in the right place is real work? It takes a deliberate effort to maintain a godly perspective in a negative world. I'm not just talking about having a positive attitude; I mean being spiritually minded.We're all born with a natural, carnal mind that tends to be focused on 3 things: I, me and mine. From birth it's all about us and what we want. As babies, we cried to get attention. As children and teens we whined to get what we wanted. As adults we've mastered all kinds of techniques to ultimately get our way, haven't we?The spiritual mind is the exact opposite. It is others focused starting with pleasing God first. Jesus said about himself, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38)What is the mind of Christ? Consider this:Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.(Philippians 2:3-8)Having the mind of Christ involves abandoning my own will and ego, putting others' needs ahead of my own, and humbling myself to serve even to the point of great personal sacrifice. Talk about a tall order! But that's exactly what Jesus Christ, the great King of Glory did for us.

Praise report from prayer last month:
We have been praying about finding the perfect house...and... we have bought one and move in next week!
Also, my husband and I have been living 5 hours apart amd I just found out tonight that he gets to come home!!! Praise God!!! :)

Jami

[mha...@gmail.com]

This is so true. The hardest thing for me is dying to my flesh daily. I did not realize how selfish I was until I rededicated my life back to God, moved back home with my parents, and had to share all of MY stuff that I was use to having all to myself. I can so relate to this post. I would love to share advice on what you stated. It's exetremely hard but God says it is the goodness of Him that draws men to repentance. It's always amazes me, no matter how much I sinned, He still found it in His heart to show Mercy because of what Jesus did on the Cross for me. Its in that revelation that has made it so easy for me to die to myself. In order for you to renew your mind and it becames easy, it will take God constantly blessing your socks off. The more He do for me, the more I want to do for others. The more He do for me, the easier it is to not sin. The more He do for me and show me He loves me, it makes it so easy for me to love Him.

I know this can sound crazy, no its not only about what He does for me, but its also who He is and how great He truly is. We have an awesome Father in heaven. Ive learned as we continue to put him first and die to ourselves daily - lol, murdering this flesh, I've learn it gets easier. Anything we do over and over and over after awhile become so much easier. Thanks for sharing.