Proving God's Will

I just happened to be reading a scripture the other day when one of the words jumped out at me and said ... "whoa, what a minute."  Well honestly, no it didn't speak, but it drew my attention back to it.  The word was "prove" and it's found in Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul's letter to the Christian Jews living in Rome.  

He wrote ... "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Okay, how do we prove what God's "will" is for our lives?

In this scriptural setting, the word prove in English came from the Greek word "dokimazo" (pronounced dok-im-ad'-zo) and means ... to test, examine, try or prove.

I am going to stray a little from that word ... "prove" ... but I'll come back to it later.  Right now I want to examine and reflect on the direction this scripture is leading us too.

By following all that Paul is suggesting, will put us on the only pathway I know of that will allow us to find and prove God's will.

The first point of instruction Paul is making is basically this ... we must change our thinking if we want to keep our lifestyle from being conformed with the world.

"Conformed to this world" means ... to the same pattern, to fashion yourself according to the world, including habits, manner, dress, or even style of living. 

In other words, if people were watching you, and they are; will they see a difference in your lifestyle, how you act and live daily, compared to the unsaved they see in the world?

Paul said to be able to keep from living and acting the same as the world, we need to "renew our mind" ... stop allowing fleshly desires to dictate our thoughts and feelings.  We might even have to clean house by removing all the garbage that has accumulated over time.  If our heart and mind is full of only the things the world has to offer, then we need to make room for spiritual things.  Grab your spiritual broom and start sweeping.  I've used mine so many times over the past 50 years that all I have left is a wooden stick. 

What's wrong with the basic human thinking of the mind we are born with?  Mainly because it is just that ... base.  It's a low starting point.  It's all about the satisfaction of the flesh.  We start out as a fallen creature with a sin nature.  It's this base, fallen, natural humanistic outlook that shapes our system of thought, attaching base, primal importance to the desires of the flesh rather than to the spirit.

Renewing our mind?  It begins with you taking control of your mind.  Just as you control what goes into your mouth, control what goes into your mind.  Don't let just anything in and take over your thoughts.  It really, truly is your choice ... you have free will.  The Apostle Paul suggests this in ...  

2nd Corinthians 10:5 ... "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Notice first of all what this scripture is speaking about ... things of the mind.  It alludes to, or speaks of ... "mind games" ... imaginations, forming concepts and images, things you perceive as important.  Notice Paul said, every high thing; that's all of them, not some of them.  High things are anything that has been elevated in rank or importance in your thinking, taking up part of the room in your heart and mind that God should have.

It's up to us to cast or pull down and bring every thought into captivity.  We should control our thoughts, not our thoughts controlling us.  While it is true that we cannot always control the things we hear or see, we can control what we do with the things we don't want to remain in our thoughts.

Nicholas Herman, the seventeenth century Carmelite monk from French Lorraine said the following about controlling his thoughts.      

"At times wandering thoughts would invade my mind and take possession of the place of God; when that happened, I proceeded straightway to expel them."

Both he and Paul were not speaking only of evil thoughts, but any thoughts that distract from God or take God's place in your heart and mind.  I am not saying that you must only think about God and nothing else; that would be impossible.  When I watch the Super Bowl, my mind and attention is on it mostly ... but at the same time I know that the Lord is also with me.  My heart is still open to His voice.

I think this scripture is speaking about the subtle, cunning deceptions that the enemy of your soul tries to work into your thinking.  The devil knows which devise or type of argument will work best on each one of us.  A lot of them will be ... "imaginations" ... as Paul said, lies that exalt themselves against the true knowledge of God.  These things can be seeds that when planted in your mind can grow into a very tough weed to pull out later.  There are good seeds and bad seeds ... know the difference.

In another pastoral letter, Paul gives further instruction on our quest in ...  proving God's will ... as I stated earlier, the object and intent of this article. 

Ephesians 5:8-10 ... "For you were (in the past) sometimes darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: (so) walk as children of light.   For the fruit of the Spirit (in your life) is ... proving what is acceptable unto the Lord."  (edited for clarity)

If the produce (the fruit of the Spirit) of our lives ... "proves what is acceptable unto the Lord" ... may I conclude then, that this would be the same as God's will for us?  Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 what that fruit production is...

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  (How or why would anyone be against these qualities in your life?)

I believe it takes a renewing of the mind to be able to grow and produce this kind of fruit ... which if you really come down to it ... are just the characteristics and attributes possessed by Jesus.  

So ... how do you prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God?

Act like ... Jesus.  That should keep you busy for a lifetime.