Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Penny for your thoughts? Ever heard that expression? And when someone asks you the chances are you will try to evade telling them what you were really thinking. Our thoughts are very private things, and most of the time we would rather not have other people know what they contain. Why is this?
I'll tell you why. Partly because of the world we live in. You switch on the TV and you are bombarded with lust, murder and greed. So what occupies your mind? It is the things you feed into it. ...Paul tells us that we need to break free of the way the world tries to squeeze us into its mould. You need to be transformed or changed, he says. And this can only take place when you have a renewed mind. So the big question is, "How do I renew my mind?" That's a good question and the answer is likely to take a lot of space, so I am going to give you the abridged version.
If you take a bowl of muddy water and start to pour fresh water into it, the muddy water starts to overflow. Keep this up for a long time and gradually the muddy water starts to clear. Eventually all dirt is displaced, and the water in the bowl comes clean. Of course it would be easier to just empty the bowl and pour clean water in, but that would not suit our illustration as you will see.
Your mind is like that bowl of muddy water. It is contaminated by the things that have been fed into it. You cannot empty it, so the only way you can purge it is to keep feeding into it, things that are pure and clean. And what better source of clean water is there than the water of the Word. You do this by the process of meditation. And you do it often and over and over again, until eventually the mud starts to leave and the water starts to clear.
Then, when your thoughts start to become clean, you will find yourself thinking on the good and pure things that Paul speaks about in Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things [are] honest, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report; if [there is] any virtue, and if [there is] any praise, think about these things.
Then the next time someone asks you, "Penny for your thoughts?" they might get a surprise. They will find you telling them what you are really thinking. And the chances are they will get ministered to in the process also. They might even be sorry they asked.
