Today at work, I took my boss' son's car to get a car wash. His car was black so the dirt really showed and I had a hard time picturing what it would even look like clean beneath that layer of dust, dirt, and scum. I stood inside the car wash building like a little girl, captured by the magic of watching the cars go through the wash before my eyes. In a matter of about 10 seconds, I watched the cars go from dirty to covered in white suds to see them rinsed clean and shiny. 10 seconds!
Then the wheels of my brain began to turn and I was reminded of a scripture I read last night in the book of Romans: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing, and perfect will." -Romans 12:2. The Word doesn't lightly suggest that we bring our minds to be transformed--it urges us to. When we want to truly follow the Lord, it is clear that we must turn from the ways of the world. It will be impossible to completely escape worldly influences, thoughts, and temptations, but God will provide us the strength to turn away and be set apart. We cannot live with one foot in the world and one foot in the Word.
When we ask God to cleanse our minds from worldly thoughts and habits, He has the power to instantaneously cleanse. Why? Because this is His will and desire for us, to be more devoted followers set apart from the fallen world. Just as a car can go from dirty to clean in a matter of seconds, so can we. But car washes don't come for free and they don't come to our driveways. We must make the effort to go out of our way to find them and pay the price to be cleansed. But best yet, while our cars find themselves dirty again in weeks, once God cleans your mind, heart, and soul, the transformation is everlasting!
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