Spring Renewal

“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, & to put on the new self , created to be like God in true righteousness & holiness.” (Ephesians 3:22-24)

This winter has been an unusually cold & snowy one here in Virginia, & I am quite ready for spring. The world will become fresh & new as the brown deadness of winter sprouts into the green aliveness of springtime.

Just as spring give me hope for the earth, this verse gives me hope for myself. My old nature is controlled by many deceitful desires, including envy, self-pity, anger, & despair. I am to be made new “in the attitude of my mind”. My mind is sometimes a greater enemy than my body. My mind dwells on past abilities & judgmental attitudes towards others. My mind tells me God is not always good or faithful. My mind says this painful life is too difficult to bear.

I need to renew my mind. God will give me the strength to do this, but it takes willing effort on my part as well. I must constantly monitor my thoughts, evaluating not only where they are coming from but where they are leading me. If they are not Scriptural, I need to make the choice to put them from my mind, rather than dwelling on them & allowing them to pull me in a wrong direction. (II Corinthians 10:5).

God’s word says that the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life & peace. (Romans 8:6). I want life & peace. I want renewal. This year as I see flowers blooming & grass growing, I want to remember that as a new creature in Christ, my old ways of thinking can be replaced with the new. Spring can happen within me as well as around me.

Prayer: O God, as you fill the earth with the freshness of your beauty, fill my mind with the freshness of your thoughts. By your power, may I be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Amen.

Bronlynn Spindler lives in VA & is blessed to have the support & encouragement of a wonderful husb& & three grown daughters. God’s grace & strength give her the ability to deal with chronic back pain, depression, headaches, & fibromyalgia. You may contact her at spindler@cox.net & view her blog of devotionals at www.aplaceofsprings57.blogspot.com.