Becoming more like Christ - bodies and minds

This is the ever-present question of our existence: How do we become more like Christ? Is it by our actions? Our attitudes? Romans 12:1-2 provides a perfect explanation of how to become more like Him.

"I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (NASB)

These two verses outline two things that must come under submission to the Lord - our bodies and our minds. How does it say we can offer our bodies/minds as a sacrifice? By the mercies of God. It's obviously not of our own effort because look what that did (Garden of Eden). The greatest thing is that HE does the transforming, the renewing, WE are the ones who bring it to Him in the first place. If you ever feel far from Him, just remember He's thisclose. Just one word away.. "Just one word and I am free" (Michael Gungor Band, "Giving It All").

I'm not sure what the verb tense is in the Greek, but take a look at "renewing" in English. That, my dear grammarians [because I know you're all dorks like me], is a present participle. Not a past participle, but present. It's a constant thing, what is happening right now. You can't just lay it down at the cross once and expect it to be over and done with. I think this is why people have a hard time when they first become Christians; I know I did. I thought that my old desires would just go away, I would feel happy and elated every single day of my life. The fact is, it's a constant sacrifice. He tells us to pick up our cross daily (Luke 9:23, NIV). The beauty of it though is that Jesus paid it once.. once was enough. That one act of obedience and sacrifice has brought us out of our misery.. and our bodies and minds can be transformed.

Why are people afraid of the will of God? Beth Moore talks about this in both studies I'm doing right now, Believing God and The Inheritance. We're afraid of what God will have to take from us in order to live a life fully in Him. The fact is, people, that He. Is. A. GIVER! Life will not be boring, will not be stale, will not be drudgery. Anybody got a hanky to wave on that one?

"...prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (v. 2)

It is safe, then, to assume that in Philippians 4:8 we can renew our minds by thinking on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellence, worthy of praise... Hmm. Let's think for a second. If we did this, we'd be thinking on the very character of God Himself! What a novel idea.


So, what other thoughts do you have on becoming more like Christ?