Oxen & Our Renewed Minds

'Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.'

-Proverbs 14:4

We like things pretty, presentable, neat, organized. We like to present ourselves as 'having it all together.' We do not like hard work or to get dirt under our nails though it's perfectly acceptable in our society to work hard to advance ourselves, to build wealth but we flee when we sense the Holy Spirit is guiding us to look inward and work with our very own mess.  Who exactly jumps for joy when He whispers to our hearts that it's time to look inside to start dealing with our issues and sins that keep us from living the abundant life Christ died for us to have (John 10:10)?  

Tracy Cameron, our minister, is guiding us through a sermon series titled, 'Renew Your Mind.'  It's about living as a new creation in Christ, recognizing lies the enemy convinces us to believe and saying "no more!"  I've been set free from some lies already that I've believed when I have not taken those thoughts captive and lined them up the the Word of God.  Beth Moore says it this way, 

'The Word of God is not based on our experience. Our experience is not the plumb line of God's truth. God's Word is truth. Where our experience doesn't match up to it, our experience is awry and is telling us a lie.'

A thought is either of God or of Satan. When we are not living as a new creation we're believing and living a lie from a killer, thief and destroyer, Satan (again, John 10:10). I'm guilty of this, are you?  Be honest!  This is where it gets messy, this is where the oxen come in :)

To live with this renewed and transformed mind that Romans 12:2 speaks of, I've come to realize it takes: 

willingness to get dirty. 

'Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.' Proverbs 14:4

It takes courage. It takes strength. 

'Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.' Joshua 1:9

The willingness to get dirty comes from the strength and courage we draw from the Holy Spirit as He leads us to living as a new creation which actually means facing our carnal flesh right in the face and submitting it.  

By the way, it's not a test. Will you pass and live as a new creation or will you fail and continue living ensnared by lies and therefore death.  It's not a test at all.  It's a fight that's already been won because if you're a child of God you're redeemed:

Since we're redeemed why are we still so afraid and hesitant to look deep within our mess (our sins, addictions, idols, etc) to work through it? Why are we so quick to say push it down just a little deeper or to put it on the 'I'll deal with that next time' shelf?  With Christ, we will only win.. He will refine us, John 15:1-3, prune us, work for His and our good, Romans 8:28.  I want to be refined. I want to be stripped of the darkness that's not of Him and for my heart and actions to be reflect Him, not the world. 

I don't know about you but I've got to fight for and chose a renewed mind every day, sometimes it seems like every second of every day. I wish I could just wake up with a renewed mind like it seems some people do. I'm not sure if it's only a spiritual battle or maybe a physical disposition or both but I, we, need not fear to work through our 'stuff' because through it all is only redemption offered by Christ. God chose us before we chose Him:

'But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'

-Romans 5:8

  If we are a child of God, even the midst of our mess is beauty. This beauty is Christ in us because that's what God sees when He looks at us because we are truly redeemed.