Darkened Glass Reflections

Category: Renewing the Mind Reflections

  • Examining Our Ways in Times of Suffering

    Examining Our Ways in Times of Suffering

    Pain and suffering are a central part of our earthly existence. Sometimes, it seems unfair, as if God Himself is unjust. We try to make sense of suffering, but it does not always work. The answers are rarely obvious or simple, but suffering gives us an opportunity to examine our lives and see if there…

  • Understanding the Deep Waters of the Heart

    Understanding the Deep Waters of the Heart

    enewing our minds is simply one part of the Christian life, intertwined with other aspects. Our minds are renewed not only through Bible study and prayer, but also through corporate worship, ministry to others, and fellowship.

  • Guarding Your Heart

    “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV). John Wesley wrote that heart means “thy thoughts, will and affections.” It sums up our inner life. What do I choose to think about? What do I want or try to do? What spurs my emotions? Define these,…

  • Self-Sufficiency or Gratitude

    Perhaps the greatest lie of all is self-sufficiency, and God’s Word warns His people against it frequently in His Word. A false belief that “I accomplished something great and do not need God’s help” is the entry point onto the shortcut to idolatry.

  • Confession: Resisting the Lies of the Enemy

    1 John 1:8–10 hints at two closely related lies that many Christians fall for: “We have no sin” and “We have not sinned.” The first implies that one has achieved a state of moral perfection; the other claims that either we were always in that state of moral perfection or that some people really have…

  • The Christian’s True Identity

    How am I known in heaven? Who do I say I am? Who does God say I am? Such questions about identity guide our lives. A person with a distorted, diminished, or deficient understanding of who they are will act on that sense of self-identity. A person who views himself or herself as a “loser”…

  • Honesty and Unity—Ephesians 4:25–27

    “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:25–27). In December, I posted an article entitled…

  • Renewed Mind and New Self—Ephesians 4:17–24

    “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous…

  • A New Heart, A New Life—Ezekiel 36:25–27

    Part of growing in a relationship with Christ is recognizing what He has done for and in us and trusting Him to do His perfect work in us. At the same time, we have to recognize when the “old me” is popping up again. The old me can take many forms. It can be outright…

  • The War Within—Galatians 5:16–18

    There is no easy formula for walking in the Spirit. It can best be summarized like this: You have been born again as a child of God; now live like a child of God. Remember who you are, and Who lives with you and in you. Most importantly, when you have strayed from God’s best…