What we think about God

This weekend I attended a conference led by Tim Brown, a pastor who heads a congregation in Clovis, CA. To say that I received a healthy dose of spiritual discipline would be an understatement akin to calling the Biblical flood a rain shower. It was powerful.

What we think about God fuels how we feel about God, which determines what we do for God.

And what we do (or don't do) for God shows the world what we truly think about Him. Scary thought, isn't it?

Two years or so ago, I wrote this post about surrender. It was all about how my thoughts about God effected my actions toward God. They were pretty disturbing thoughts... but I wasn't always aware of them. I lived them every day, reacted to them every day, but I couldn't recognize them. Or I didn't want to.

I tried and tried and tried to trust God, to be obedient to Him, to spend time with Him and give Him my all. I tried to stop cutting, stop lying, stop cursing, stop envying, stop resenting, stop stop sinning... I tried to change my behavior without ever addressing the thoughts that led to those behaviors. I didn't "take captive every thought," instead my thoughts made a captive out of me.

My God is in the business of renewing minds. Changing thoughts. Revolutionizing belief so His people can do His will and build His Kingdom.

Behavior flows out of belief, not the other way around.

Lord, today I'm asking You to renew me. Show me the thoughts that keep me inward-focused instead of Kingdom-minded and help me take them captive. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.