I think so many times in our marriages and our lives the challenge is how do I keep the right focus, how do I reset my mind every day? How do I get renewed? This acronym is helpful for me. It is RENEW. It is the idea of resetting, refocusing my mind and heart every day.
R= Remember who you are and whose you are.
E= Eyes to see what God is doing.
N=Never ever doubt God loves you.
E= Enjoy more of God every day.
W= Willing to love sacrificially.
The R is to remember that we are a child of the King, we belong to the one and only God. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that we are!” 1 John 3 (NIV). When my children moved into the teen years I would tell them when they left the house, “Remember who you are; and whose you are.” I wanted to remind them that they not only represented us as a family, but more importantly they belonged to God. I wanted them to align their mind and thoughts with those truths so it impacted their behavior and choices. “I am God, and there is no other, I am God and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46: 9 (NIV)
The E is to remind us that we need to ask God to open our eyes to see wonderful things in His word, and to look for what He is doing in our lives. “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all of my purposes.” Isaiah 46: 10 (NIV). “See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV). God is always working in millions of ways; we must train our eyes to look for it.
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Our minds have to be directed and renewed daily because we fight against our flesh, the world and Satan.
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The N is to help us set the indestructible foundation of knowing God loves me, no matter what. “God’s love is shown through Christ’s death for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:7 (NIV). “For the Lord is good, his love endures forever.” Psalm 100:5 (NIV). I love the line in the song, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.” When life is hard and we don’t understand what God is doing or why. We must stand on the solid rock of knowing that His heart is always and forever for us! If we belong to Him, we are never under His wrath. Only His love, even if we can’t quite see it yet.
The E is to move me toward increasing delight and enjoyment of God. “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11 (NIV) “As deer pants for streams of water, so pants my soul for you, Oh God. My soul thirsts for the living God.” Psalm 42: 1-2 (NIV). Our lives are a journey of learning to love, know and experience more and more of God. When we set our heart toward seeking that, He increasingly becomes our great satisfaction.
The W is the way that I live each day as a witness to those around me. I want others to know that I belong to a God that desires that I see Him, trust that He loves me, and delight that He is my greatest treasure. When I understand God’s great love for me, I am willing to love others even when it costs me. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
When I move through RENEW every day, it helps set my mind. It allows me to reset, to refocus. Our minds have to be directed and renewed daily because we fight against our flesh, the world and Satan. The battle is almost always in our minds and hearts. We have to RENEW every day.
I like the fact that we need the first four letters to be in place to help us live the last letter. Loving sacrificially is based on understanding everything that comes before it. I pray that we will each RENEW our minds daily.
~Carla
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