The work God has recently been doing in my heart is two-fold: first in restoring and second in renewing.
He reestablishes peace but does not stop there. Next is a renewal of my mind, encouraging me to live out an active love. As written in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (ESV) God’s work is a pull then push, negating the falsehoods and crutches we each rely on and then affirming His truths. Through giving up the things I hold on to, God is able to give me so much more. By emptying myself of my dead-end desires, I am poured into seven-fold. The excuses I rest on and the crutches of sin cannot lead to life. Yet God restores and renews me.
His Restoration
God restores me.
By quieting my mind when I am disconnected from literally anything outside of myself,
By calming me when I am too angry to see a perspective beyond my vantage,
And by humbling my heart when I am too prideful to ask for help.
By helping me let go when I stubbornly get set on where I want my life to go,
By grounding my soul when my struggles feel like they’ve lasted a day too long,
And by refocusing my thoughts when my pain distorts my perception of God.
My Renewal
God renews me.
By steadying my pace to follow His perfect timing,
By teaching me truths I never would’ve concluded on my own,
And by lifting my eyes to focus on glorifying Him.
By empowering my soul and calling on my heart to love unconditionally,
By opening my mind to overcome fears I have yet to call by name,
And by leading me through change, because I am never given peace to sit with it, I am given peace to walk in it.
Embracing What God Has to Offer
I hold myself back from renewal when I lean on the crutches of my sin. But God comes in and shows me that I don’t need to limp anymore! I rejoice, for I have already been set free in Christ. I am encouraged and my spirits are lifted. Like a string through my back pulling me up straight, God’s grace sets me out with endurance. And I know He can do the same for you.
Through the eyes of my depression and pain, I was detached. But now God has given me the ability to breathe in the beauty that I always knew existed but never could emotionally or physically experience. He is the clearest pair of glasses and the deepest breath of air. He is the dissolver of my frustrations and the breaker of my chains. In being reconciled to my Creator, I have been set free; for I am armed with a patience and an eagerness that is simply no match for the fragility of fear.
