Wrapping our minds around it

I mentioned this in the sermon yesterday, but I thought it would be good to revisit.

 

As I read God’s word and allow it to speak truth into my life, sometimes I discover that my truth (how I am living my daily life, what I believe, or how I had interacted with others) does not match God’s truth.  In those instances where God’s truth and our actions do not align, we need to submit what we think is true/best to what God has declared what is true/best.  This, however, is not an easy task. 

 

No one likes to submit.  At times, it seems like rebellion is wired into our DNA.  But the fact remains, we need to submit to God’s truth.  This is where prayer comes in.  Submitting to God’s truth should not be a daily process that we loath.  It should be a place that we can find joy and fulfillment.  It comes through the process of our minds being renewed and transformed.  It may take me a few times at praying the same thing, over and over, to wrap our head around it, but that’s okay.

 

When we look at Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, he goes off and prays specifically “not what I will, but what you will.”  Something I never really noticed before is that he does this 3 times.  He prays, comes back to find everyone sleeping, and goes – as Mark 14:39 “Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.”

 

Jesus does this 3 times.  Why would Jesus pray the same prayer 3 times?  Was he trying to change God’s mind and he didn’t like the answer God gave him the first 2 times?  No, Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen.  He knew exactly what God’s will was.  He knew everything that was about to transpire and he prays 3 times for God’s will, not his to be done, and I think he had to pray 3 times because it was in his prayers that Jesus was mentally and spiritually working it out. 

 

As we pray, I think it very appropriate and acceptable that when we come to God, we come to him honestly, and respectfully, laying our hearts out before him.  And when we do that, we aren’t seeking to change God’s mind, but we are working things out.  When we pray, I believe that God can and sometime does change things around us, but I believe that most of the time, when we pray, God changes us.

 

A couple of verses to check out…

 

Philippians 2:12 tells us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works within us.

 

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” 

 

Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

 

Psalm 51:8-12 (open your Bible and check it out)