Reading: Romans 12:2 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Reflection

Recently, I recalled a time when I was a counselor at camp, sitting under a tree, talking to a fellow staff member. Other staff would say and do things and she always brought it back to herself, wondering if it was her fault. She took things personally, and she took it to the extreme. I was trying to help her talk through it.

When we take something personally, whether it be words someone speaks or an action shown towards us, it can get us down and discouraged. How do we combat that? I think we need to renew our minds, just as Paul tells us in today’s passage.

Maybe we need to say to ourselves, “Here I go again” and try to nip it in the bud. Maybe we need to stop, take a deep breath, and try to relook at the situation from another perspective. Maybe we need to investigate where the thought came from—what might it be rooted in? Or maybe we need to seek some godly counsel. Talking to a friend or family member who we trust may help them to put something in perspective that we didn’t think about.

I’ve had lots of trusted people over the years that I can go to and seek different perspective. Sometimes hearing something from another can help me renew my mind and not take something personally. I hope these tips help you, and I hope my friend that sat with me under that tree has learned not to take things as personally as she did as a young adult!

–Chad Hershberger

Prayer   

God who renews, help us to renew our thoughts and minds and keep our eyes on you so that we might see your will.

Amen.