I was listening to New Life on the radio the other day. The crew was responding to a caller who was struggling with lust in his life. The caller was 20-years old. It says something that he is male, that age, able to recognize a problem and seek help to do something about it.
As a part of their response to the caller they told the story of a man who was 65 years-old before he began to effectively work on his own lust problems. This 65-year old shared how he was changed. He said that one of the tools that God used to change him was memorization of scripture. Over time, this absorption into God's word began to work in his heart to the point where one day he found himself soaking in a hot tub at a hotel one evening when two women in bikinis approached him. His first thoughts upon seeing them were "I wonder if their husbands love them?" and "I wonder if they know the Lord". His next immediate thought was "Wow! That was different!". He realized that over time God had transformed him from seeing women as objects to satisfy his lustful desires into someone who saw them with God's eyes - as people, not objects. It was an amazing story of transformation and one entirely consistent with the message of Romans 12: "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.".
I've never been one to embrace memorization, thinking of it more as the stuff of religion rather than way to ingest the vital bread of life. I want that to change. Here are two:
I will meditate on his precepts and consider his ways - Psalms 119:15
Commit your way to the lord. Trust in him and he will do this. He will cause your righteousness to be like the dawn and the justice of your cause to shine like the noonday sun. - Psalm 37:5-6
May it be - all for God's purpose.
As a part of their response to the caller they told the story of a man who was 65 years-old before he began to effectively work on his own lust problems. This 65-year old shared how he was changed. He said that one of the tools that God used to change him was memorization of scripture. Over time, this absorption into God's word began to work in his heart to the point where one day he found himself soaking in a hot tub at a hotel one evening when two women in bikinis approached him. His first thoughts upon seeing them were "I wonder if their husbands love them?" and "I wonder if they know the Lord". His next immediate thought was "Wow! That was different!". He realized that over time God had transformed him from seeing women as objects to satisfy his lustful desires into someone who saw them with God's eyes - as people, not objects. It was an amazing story of transformation and one entirely consistent with the message of Romans 12: "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.".
I've never been one to embrace memorization, thinking of it more as the stuff of religion rather than way to ingest the vital bread of life. I want that to change. Here are two:
I will meditate on his precepts and consider his ways - Psalms 119:15
Commit your way to the lord. Trust in him and he will do this. He will cause your righteousness to be like the dawn and the justice of your cause to shine like the noonday sun. - Psalm 37:5-6
May it be - all for God's purpose.
