Any Good Thoughts Lately?

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

² Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

Romans 12:1, 2 Amplified version

The Greek word renewing in Romans 12:2 is:

anakainōsis.  Its Pronunciation is
ä-nä-kī'-nō-sēs

Meaning:  a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better 

Websters 1828 dictionary has this to say about renew. 
RENEW', verb transitive [Latin renovo; re and novo, or re and new.]
1. To renovate; to restore to a former state, or to a good state, after decay or depravation; to rebuild; to repair.
Asa renewed the altar of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 15:8.
2. To re-establish; to confirm.
Let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there. 1 Samuel 11:14.
3. To make again; as, to renew a treaty or covenant.
4. To repeat; as, to renew expressions of friendship; to renew a promise; to renew an attempt.
5. To revive; as, to renew the glories of an ancestor or of a former age.
6. To begin again.
7. To make new; to make fresh or vigorous; as, to renew youth; to renew strength; to renew the face of the earth.
Psalms 103:5. Isaiah 40:31. Psalms 104:30.
8. In theology, to make new; to renovate; to transform; to change from natural enmity to the love of God and his law; to implant holy affections in the heart; to regenerate.
Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:1. Ephesians 4:23.

I believe that the insight Paul had and gave us in Romans 12;1,2 is probably the most important, foundational instruction he gave the Body of Christ to make a profound difference in our every day lives for ALL of our lives.

If we are still living by the seat o our pants in our every day lives, without making reference to the Word of God, in everything, we’re set up for a very hard life.

While we are pushing into our relationship with the Lord, and loving Him in His Word....meditating in the Word, chewing it like a cow chews a cud, over and over and over while it is speaking to our soul (our mind, or seat of emotions, where we make decisions in our lives)    going down into our spirit and feeding us.....it’s making a difference and bringing life to us.

We are a spirit
We live in a body
We have a soul

We give our body food every day of our lives for some 3 times a day.
Our spirit isn’t fed nearly as well.

Whatever is stronger - either our body or our soul is what we (our spirit) will partner with and dominate our lives.

Human has stinking thinking.  That’s just how it is all across the board.

We can step into a new life in God, and our spirit be made alive unto Him, but if our mind is not renewed to the Word of God, our lives will not necessarily change a whole lot as time goes on.  Blatant sin will not be inviting anymore, but given time, if God’s Word does not become a stronghold in our lives, other things will become strongholds...and I don’t even want to go there.

Reading God’s Word faithfully.
Meditating on it during the course of our day.
Keep putting the Word into our heart and keep putting it into our heart, to effect a change in our every day lives.

When “stuff” tries to happen and we’re just plugging along under our own steam, we will deal with “stuff” with our own understanding.  Now isn’t that just special?  Not !

If we are making the endeavor to keep the Word of God fresh in our mind, thoughts, and deciding that it WILL play an integral part in our lives by putting it FIRST place in everything we do.....This is something that God can work with to HELP us.  Thinking like Him, living like Him, speaking like Him.

Remember
Luk 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Whatever is in our heart in abundance is what is going to come out in our lives and out of our mouths.

I’ve been loving God for decades and have already seen what I can do under my OWN steam, reason, abilities, and might.  It’s a no brainer.

If I am renewing my mind to God’s Word every day - every day - every day - every day (get the picture?) Then what I have in abundance in my heart WILL surface and give me His Wisdom, direction, HELP, and HOPE.  When my mind is being renewed to His Word, my thoughts will be pulling on God as my first nature.....not, when everything else isn’t working............ hummm, let’s see what God has to say about it.

Father is out to give us ALL THE HELP WE NEED with ALL HE’S PROVIDED FOR US, but if we’re not consistently tapping into the Word of God, He’ll let us go our way and fall on our face, waiting for us to take a second look at what He’s told us.

Place Your Life Before God

Romans 12 

^1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you

The Passion Translation