What I Am Learning--A Freedom Most Frightening

"Lord, renew my mind"

This faint whisper has become the battle cry.  As I focus on Romans 12:2 as my one verse, its primary purpose is to become my one prayer.  And so I pray that little phrase throughout my day:


Lord, renew my mind.

And I set to work at doing my part.  Renewal requires submission.  Renewal requires rules.  My mind needs restrictions and guidance and a set of yes's and no's

And in God's gracious answer to my prayer he led my rules to Galatians.

I sat up and read it front to back about 2 weeks ago.

I read it again front to back 2 nights ago.

It is intoxicating.

Paul, nay, God plants in Galatians a truth so scandalous it makes my heart race.


We are free.


Yes, we are free.


And I have read Galatians 5:1 before, about being set free for freedom sake, and all the time I praised God for my freedom from my sin (a freedom so real!)...


...but that is not the freedom talked about.


No, we are free from law.


No more does my effort count.  No more am I judged on my ability to be good enough, to be just enough.  No more am I required to align my life with the law of God.  NO!  It is for FREEDOM I have been set free.


Jesus did the work.  Jesus did the righteous living, Jesus did the sacrificial dying, Jesus did the death defying...




...and Jesus still does the sanctifying,  The Spirit, living within is doing the holy-making for me.


I just submit, and find myself lavished in freedom.


No more rules and regulations, just freedom that leads us to living like God.




And this freedom terrifies me.


I know it must be so.  The law, my law, has never kept me close to God before, and it never will.  But...but I just feel like it can't be this easy, this free.


Doesn't freedom naturally lead to anarchy?


Not this freedom.


This freedom dances in the perfection of grace.  It burrows down into the soil of Christ.  It is watered by Spirit...and fruit comes.


Good fruit from freedom.


Shudder my soul with expectancy.

One Year. One Verse

The "One Word" concept is a good one.  I read about it about halfway through this year.  The idea was to take one word, a word that sums up who you want to be and how you want to live, and make that one word the key to your year.  Focusing on one word instead of a bunch of resolutions.  I like that.

Except this year I am wanting to challenge you to make a slightly different challenge.  This year, let's take one verse from God's word to make our theme.  Take a verse that challenges you, inspires you, teaches you, or maybe even confuses you.  Take one verse, and make it your focus this year.  Your reading of the Bible will be informed by this one verse, your prayer life focused around it, your days begin and end with a quick reminder of your one verse.

One Verse.  one Year.

I believe this can change lives.

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My verse this year:

"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

This verse really sums up what I want to see change in my life.  I want to see my mind transformed in such a way that changes how I live my life.

I will study this verse inside out this year, and the context around it.  More than that, though, I will put my effort forward to make weekly and monthly goals that will help me move closer to God's intentions within this verse.

Knowing isn't enough.  My life must be changed.

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I challenge you to pick a verse.  Share it on your blog or on Facebook/Twitter.  If you want help looking for tools to help you study this one verse better, let me know.  What if we let our entire year be consumed by one simple statement from God's word?  Do you think it would change you?

Join me and find out!