Clean Cars, Dirt Roads
Ever driven on a dirt road with your newly washed car??? Especially in the early spring when the road is actually a concoction of mud and ice with craters the size of a Volkswagen?? Not fun is it? And that’s what so funny about this topic—clean cars and dirt roads. It just isn’t possible. It’s kind of a paradox in a way. No matter what you do– if you live on a dirt road or venture to take a tour down such, no way will you keep your car clean. It’s impossible! The fact is, if you live on such, you will inevitably give in and accept the fact of having a dirty car. With the exception of a few cleanings here and there when it gets really bad, a dirty car eventually becomes the accepted norm.
Unfortunately, this word picture metaphorically is a reality of many Christian believers today. They desire to live a pure, clean, holy and amazing life by way of a clean heart but they fail to renew their minds. They go to church, offer prayers of confession and repentance and get their heart right with God, only to end up back the next week in the same place full of despair, guilt, condemnation and a hopelessness that’s as real as—well–dirt. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be this way. Nope. If this hits your heart with the pain of familiarity, then God’s got something for you. A way out!!!
You see, the roads we mentally travel on which get us from one destination to another are the thoughts we meditate on and own. They begin with imaginative impulses which we either accept or deny. If we accept them, they become ours and we plant them in the soil of our heart. If we reject them, they fade away. You are the one responsible for discerning such impulses. Choose well and you will prosper. Choose poorly and you will fail. The road you travel on all begins with your thinking—dirt road thinking or a gold-paved-road luxury ride. It’s your choice.
God gave some very specific instructions as it relates to this very issue. It’s not His will that we labor over the same mistakes time and time again but that we should prove out His will and plan for our lives by moving forward in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. But to do that, we must renew our minds in accordance with His divine Word. As Paul, being led by the Holy Spirit wrote:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
You can do all the confession, repentance, deliverance and help programs your heart desires. They’re not bad. Fact is—they’re very good. It’s just not the entire package. If you truly want to be transformed–really want to live the free, abundant and good fruit-bearing life that God paid the price for—you will need to renew your mind. There is no other way! Period!! Here’s what Jesus Himself said about this:
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:3-32 NKJV
Want to move forward in the favor, blessings, and promises of God? Renew your mind.
Want to prove out the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for your life? Renew your mind.
Want to be a blessing to your family, friends, and others around you? Renew your mind.
Want to quit making your daily ritual of asking God for mercy and forgiveness for the same ditch or dirt road you keep traveling on? Renew your Mind.
If this is you, quit driving on dirt roads and start driving on the streets of thought that God intends for you and enjoy the abundant Life. The fact is, Jesus did teach us to pray for God’s will to be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven….NO DIRT ROADS THERE!!! PRAISE GOD!
Fred Snyder