a small step towards settling

I viewed another house today. I liked it. It was the first house in which I could envision waking up every morning. The main floor is humble: a cozy living room / dining room space with entrances to the kitchen on both end -- two bedrooms and a smaller bathroom as well. The basement is the real prize. A larger living space is finished, and the room is connected to another that could be utilized as an office or third bedroom. I can just picture a handful of kids inhabiting this space (or in the meantime, a brotherhood of bachelors).

Now, all I can do is make a wise offer and pray that they'll come down a bit on the listing price. Through this entire process, I have not felt panicked, so I must trust that God will direct the outcome. If this isn't the house, no harm done. If it is, I know that I will be excited when it becomes a reality...Anthony Marks, homeowner!

I continued with my recent Romans obsession. I began chapter 12 (the one I've studied and preached the most). I determined that I didn't care for verse 2 anymore:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

When I used to teach from this passage, I thought this message was simple -- the "garbage in, garbage out" principle, right? And then the next five years of my life happened, and I realized that "trying" was insufficient for renewal.

It isn't enough to place every area of protection in our lives. Yes, there was probably a time in my youth when it was this simple -- when my purity could be attributed to my sheltered experiences. But this does not shield those that have already had their innocence lost. The residue remains in our thoughts, even if we flee from future temptation. But the word "renew" implies a work of restoration, and only He can make things new.

This renewal is said to be prerequisite for "proving" what God's perfect will is. We are not free to bypass this process. But to place ourselves on the altar of sacrifice -- for Him to perform surgery on our minds -- is no light task. It always begins with our heart. Each of us must determine: is knowing His will worth the mess, or would we rather remain composed, yet distant?