Renew: To Transform, Be Transformed by God’s Mercyഉദാഹരണം

"To transform, we must be transformed."

As a young leader, the son of a pastor, growing up in rural Ontario and small-town Michigan, there was an early love for the church, for growing spiritually, and for being wise. But I was impatient about it. Was there a way to hurry this up?

While in graduate school for my pastoral training, I came across this meaningful quote from Thomas Merton, which revealed to me ways that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind: “How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun.”

What are you paying attention to? And when in the day do you ever get to just be?

The patterns of this world mercilessly press us to hurry up, to get to the end faster, to find more effective and efficient ways to get stuff done, which leads to more anxiety and worry, more uncertainty and insecurity about how it’s all going to turn out, less presence and more restlessness.

Even in this state of being, we can reach out to God to seek his will, to discern his desires for us, to pray for guidance, and what will we discover? That mercy is always part of the answer to that prayer.

The world is hard on humans, but mercy is how we participate in God’s pleasing and perfect will for our lives together.

What would be the most significant sign of a renewed mind transformed by God’s mercy?

First, forgiveness towards those who have sinned against us.

Second, withhold harm and refuse revenge, choosing not to punitively punish when the means and opportunity are available to us.

So, how do we renew our minds and experience the transformation of God’s mercy in our lives?

Like the apple in the sun, our soul ripens slowly when we are present, still, silent, and in solitude with the mercy-full Christ Jesus.

While the crushing pattern of this world presses us towards harboring shame and hurt feelings, we get to make radical choices of freedom: to receive the mercy God our Father has for us, trusting it to be true, and letting go of our unmerciful thoughts and ruminations, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Pay attention to the ways mercy can renew your mind, freeing it from bitterness and resentment.

Choose to be present, sitting in the mercy of the Son.