Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 4 ~ Why is this so hard?

Thanks for stopping by today. If you've landed here for the first time, we are on Day 4 of a series I'm calling 31 Days of Renewing.

Yesterday, we talked about how we do not, in ourselves, have the power to renew our minds, but that change is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It sounds simple enough.

But we all know it isn't.

We know what we should do.

But we don't do it.

We're in good company. The Apostle Paul (the very same guy who has exhorted us to renew our minds) had the same problem. In Romans 7, he tells us that he doesn't understand his own actions - he doesn't do what he wants to do, and does the very things he hates (verse 17).

Why? Why is this so hard?

There are a lot of reasons. But here's one that I've found to be true in my own life.

Forgetfulness.

In her book, Grace for the Good Girl, Emily Freeman makes this statement.

Satan's biggest, most effective weapon against good girls may not be lust or slander or adultery or addiction. It is forgetfulness (p. 170).
What do I forget?
  • I forget what I was.
  • I forget Who saved me and at what price.
  • I forget why I'm here.
But remembering is the first step to renewing.

What about you? What do you think is your biggest obstacle to a renewed mind? Tell us about it in the comments and come back tomorrow as we wade deeper into what renewing our minds looks like.

Related Posts:

  • 31 Days :: Day 18 ~ How hungry are you? Whatever is just . . . think on these things. The word translated here as "just" (it's also frequently translated "right") is "dikaios" and the short definition is "just, righteous, impartial." The implication is that… Read More
  • 31 Days :: Day 20 ~ Who's the loveliest of them all? Whatever is lovely . . . think on these things. The Greek word translated as lovely is "prosphiles" and it means "acceptable, pleasing" and has the idea of being "winsome, sweet, gracious, attractive." In classical Greek i… Read More
  • 31 Days :: Day 19 ~ Is it stainless? Whatever is pure . . . think on these things. The Greek word for pure is "hagnos" and it means "exciting reverence, sacred" and "pure - free from carnality, chaste, modest; free from fault, immaculate; clean." The word is… Read More
  • 31 Days :: Day 17 ~ No books required? Happy Monday! If your weekend was as crazy as mine and you need to catch up, you can find links to the sixteen previous posts here. Phil. 4:8 ~ Whatever is honorable . . . think about these things. (ESV) Yesterday, we tal… Read More
  • 31 Days :: Day 21 ~ You mean I have to practice? Whatever is commendable . . . think on these things. We've been talking for the past several weeks about renewing our minds by choosing to think the way God wants us to think. Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of things we … Read More

2 comments:

Lucilu said...

Forgetting...
That's really insightful. I agree that is a big problem. Maybe another one of my problems is "the tyranny of the urgent." Everything that's begging for my immediate attention wins. Often times I set aside my "schedule," my own needs, and displace responsibilities. It's hard to get the right balance.

Lynn Huggins Blackburn said...

Lucilu-"the tyranny of the urgent" is a big one for me to.