2026 Pentecost Devotions II
Wednesday, August 19
Romans 12:1-8
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
“… 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect….”
Sometimes this verse is read as an indictment of an emotion response to the Gospel. After all, Paul writes about renewing the mind without reference to the heart or soul. As such, some have taken this to mean that faith is a “mind game” only. That which relates to heart or emotion has no place.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. While Paul emphasizes the renewing of the mind, it is in reference to discernment – what is the will of God. Certainly, that involves contemplation, reading Scripture, and prayer. However, to separate those activities from what is felt in the heart and soul would diminish its effectiveness. How can one meditate on the nature of God without engaging the Spirit presence in one’s whole life? How can one read the Gospels without an emotional response to the work and words and passion of our Lord? How can one communicate with God through prayer without a dialog that involves the totality of the person?
Paul’s message is clear. If you want to come to know the Lord more deeply, seeking to discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect – one must engage the entirety of one’s being – heart, mind, and soul. This follows the first and greatest commandment about how to love God.
Prayer: Lord, you have created us as fully human with heart, mind, and soul. Help me to discern what is good and acceptable and perfect employing the totality of who You created me to be. Amen.