Text: Romans 12:1-2
In his book Step By Step, author James Petty asserts, “until the industrialized age, most Christian writings on guidance emphasized guidance to God, not guidance from God.” Our attention has shifted from relationship with our Creator to navigation within His Creation. We’ve lost our path, but Romans 12:1-2 can help us regain our bearings.
In this passage, Paul clarifies the means by which we which we discern God’s path – the renewed mind. The renewed mind serves as the touchstone by which we test the options presented us. We don’t look to a wet fleece or a donkey’s mouth to provide guidance. We look to God’s Word, which instills God-fearing wisdom, God-centered priorities, God-honoring freedom, and God-given love.
The renewed mind will lead us down a path of personal surrender. Daily surrender refocuses our attention upon relationship instead of mere navigation. We discover that God is not interested in merely telling us where to go. His real concern is in walking with us. When we understand this, we discover the freedom and joy of praying, “Thy will be done.”