8 | Renewing My Mind

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Have you ever thought what the heck is renewing my mind? How do you do it?
Let's leave that thought there and rewind a little.

I just came out of #hopeconf15, ONE. One of my objective going into conference was for God to give me more compassion for the lost, because I felt that my conviction to SAVE SUTD FOR JESUS was merely a conviction in God wanting to use SUTD. I don't see myself actively working towards that goal and it fed me up. I was hoping that God will show me His love and heartbreak for the lost that it would drive me to be his hands and feet. I expected it to be like moments that people have shared where God deposit a bit of His heart for the lost and I would be overwhelmed by His pain.

However at the end of the first day God made it really clear, to love the lost and reach out to the lost is to fall more deeply in love with him. When Jesus captivates your heart and you're his follower you will naturally reach out for the lost. I was really awed by how God was moving and shaping my perspective. The end goal is not to have God's heart as a means to an end but to love God so much that pleasing Him is the only thing that mattered.

I thought that was the end of God's message("would you fall more deeply in love with me?") for me, but God had much greater stuff installed for me. During the last song that we sang - Relentless- I was thinking to God, what is it about your relentlessness that I'm repeating over and over again. Basically, why are we singing this song? And I just felt God telling me that, I have been relentless in my pursuit for you, would you be relentless in your pursuit for the lost? I think some of you might have heard the phase "we are all here today because someone sowed very hard on us". The implication being we should not be easily discouraged in our sowing journey but press on. However at another level this phase connotes that we're following the example of another man. Instead God was challenging me that I was the one that pursued you relentlessly, would you be my hand and feet, persevere beyond your endurance level while holding to the true source of strength Jesus Christ?

I was being jokey and kinda told one of my LG mates that I did not understand the point of that praise song wanting to bring out the point that I learnt. One of them told me we were singing the song as a declaration. Although that is true, don't you declare things for someone to know something. So in this case when we declare "Your love is Relentless", who are we declaring it to and for what purpose? In the church we are all believers, so we're declaring to each other that God have pursued us relentlessly and will continue to do so? That did not square with my God, its like me saying that my boyfriend is pursuing me relentlessly. As believers our relationship with God is 2 way street, there's no need to declare that he is relentless.

Thus as I was riding home, I was trying to piece all these things together. Thinking of the whole idea of proclamation, I realized that we proclaim God's character because it implicates how we live our life. The declaration of that truth should not end there but should impact my lives somehow. In this case the understanding that Jesus' loves us relentlessly, is a call for me to be relentless in my pursuit of the lost. The same way that my understanding that Jesus have the victory, is an encouragement to live life fearlessly for God. Or that God is faithful, is a reminder to not worry about tomorrow. Hence we should understand that truths about who God is affects how we live our lives.

Hey Sylvina, how is this whole long text wall about renewing your mind? Well if you have not caught it, here it is, renewing your mind is the act of allowing truth to change your paradigm. Specifically, knowing the truths of God better affects how you lead your life, therefore allowing you to no longer conform to the pattern of this world. The truths are meant to transform your mind and implicitly your actions. Moreover this argument is further supported by the last line in the verse where Paul talks about being able to test God's will, how else are you to know God's will other than by knowing who he is?

Interestingly understanding more about God is also the only way you can love God more. Only when you know someone can you love that person. I felt like pulling all these thread together God gave me a pat to my back, "My daughter you just have to continue to learn more about me and let that knowledge transform you life. You're on the right track, good job!"

Basically all in all God is asking you one thing, would you know me more and let that knowledge shape your life?