Retro - SE StudentsSample

Isn’t it so much more exciting to eat a cookie when it is in the shape of your favorite movie character, or school mascot, or even shaped like your pet? With the right cookie cutter, your average cookie dough can be cut and shaped into just about anything you would like. If we aren’t careful, our lives will be pressed upon by the cookie cutter of this world. The way we think and behave can be more influenced by the world we live in than by God our Maker.

Instead of having the peace Jesus promises, we are filled with stress and worry.

Instead of finding rest in God’s presence, we feel exhausted by the busyness of our lives.

Instead of having compassion for others, we are annoyed and short-tempered with them.

Rather than allowing the world to form us, we have to be transformed by the God who works in and through us. But how? It all starts with our thoughts. We must be prepared to think through each aspect of life. We must be able to challenge the ways of this world. By reading God’s Word and allowing other Christians to speak into our lives, our thoughts move closer to God’s thoughts. And when our mind is set on God, our actions honor God.

Today, be aware of your thoughts. Where do you find your mind being shaped by the world? And being shaped by God’s heart and character?