A New Mind
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds.
Whenever I, as a Canadian, drive my car into the United States, I need to convert miles per hour into kilometers per hour and gallons of gasoline into liters and vice versa. As a result, my mind is constantly converting at every speed-limit sign and fuel stop so that I understand correctly.
In today’s passage, the apostle Paul reflects on what Christ has done for us, and he calls us to a complete transformation, a total conversion to a new way of life. This is not limited to—but certainly includes—the renewing of our minds.
Recently I came across the phrase “the conversion of our imaginations.” I think that expresses a real need for us to become “like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Throughout this month of October, we will be looking at references in the Bible to everyday items all around us. For example, snow is not only a white blanket that covers the landscape in cold weather, but it can also remind us of the purifying work of the Lord (Isaiah 1:18). As we apply our biblically enlightened imaginations to such things, I pray that the Holy Spirit will deepen our understanding of God, make more meaningful our faith in Jesus, and clarify our calling and task in the Lord’s church and kingdom.
Lord, as we meditate on your Word and reflect on ordinary things in life, make us new “in the attitude of our minds.” In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Gerrit Bomhof
Gerrit Bomhof immigrated as a young child with his family from the Netherlands to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 1954. He graduated from Trinity Christian College in 1972 and from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1976. He served as a pastor to five churches in Canada and retired in June 2017.
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