
Romans 12:1-2, “And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” NLT.
Have you thought much about what you think about the most? We each need to examine ourselves from time to time and ask, “Am I living for Christ in my actions in holiness in this circumstance and in my thoughts, or only for myself?” At conversion, our hearts are changed within us, giving us a new perspective under Christ’s authority and helping us avoid conforming to ungodly patterns. Our emotions, however, reflect what we worship. They reveal what has captured our hearts – what we crave, treasure, and serve. Our prayer needs to be Psalm 119:114: “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is the source of my hope.” Our obedience from the heart is what God wants as we live a daily sacrifice to Him, trusting Him to guide and direct us because our sins have been forgiven at the cross.
How do you worship God? Do you realize how important it is to read His Word daily and talk to Him in prayer? That is how one cultivates a closer relationship with Him. The Bible teaches us about God, His personality, which is found in His attributes. When you read Scripture, pray for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, and that it will help you love Him and others more. Ask Him to help you see something new about Himself that you have never seen before. Then ask Him to help you correct any lies you had not realized were wrong about God, or anything you might have misunderstood. Lastly, ask Him to direct your steps according to His Word, as the author of Psalm 119:105 stated, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a life to my path.” That changes the way we think.
Do you realize that, as a follower of Christ, you take the Holy Spirit with you everywhere you go because of the redemptive work on the cross? When you read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reminds you throughout your day of the truths that you have read. But if we don’t spend time in Scripture, we are actually quenching the Spirit’s work in our lives because the Spirit works through the Word of God. When you habitually read God’s Word, you will be transformed into a new person by Him changing the way you think. Your response pattern in using the Bible to solve your problems will be forming new biblical ways of understanding and forming new biblical patterns automatically. Then you will know God’s will for you, which is “good and pleasing and perfect.”
As Ephesians 4:22-24 admonishes, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.” Then, as Colossians 3:10 states, “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.”
Don’t know where to start in reading the Bible? Choose a book such as Psalms, John, Philippians, or Colossians for a few suggestions, and read it repeatedly for a month. This practice helps your mind and heart become new by fostering biblical thinking patterns and a biblical approach to life, firmly rooted in Christ.
Listen to Matthew West – Goodbye Yesterday (Lyric Video).









