DEVOTION: Week of April 26

Get you a friend who’ll help you renew your mind. A friend who encourages you to celebrate good news, not let you stay indifferent as a way of preparing yourself for a shoe to drop. A friend who gently challenges your tendency to think judgy thoughts about others. A friend who speaks truth over that difficult situation in life.

Being transformed by the renewing of our minds puts responsibility on us; sometimes that means having a friend remind us how to do it.

Find you a mentor who’ll help you renew your strength. That walks with you while you’re weary and want to give up. That holds up your arms and helps shoulder your burdens. Find you a mentor who speaks life over the dead places, and gives you a shoulder to cry on. Who sees when you’re tired—so very tired—and reassures you that you don’t have to be strong for everyone. That you have a safe space to be weak when you need it. A mentor who comforts you by reminding you that He is your strength, and that He is renewing yours.

If we want to mount up with wings like eagles, we have to be willing to free fall like them too, holding onto each other and refusing to let go.

Discover an ally who will help you renew your spirit. Who prays for your situation when you simply can’t any longer. Who covers you in prayer, and bathes you in scripture. Who unexpectedly gifts you with a massage when life has beaten you down, or takes you out to lunch when you need to escape the monotony of your four walls. Who sends you books at the hospital because they know you’re lonely and can’t have visitors, or whisks you away in order to give you space to exhale, room to breathe, to think.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

God renews of our spirits and strength and minds, but He also sends people along to help get the job done. We’re a people made to love and to be in community with each other—we’re a body of believers. The fingers need the arm in order to type. The feet need the quads in order to walk. The brain needs the heart in order to simply stay alive. And we need each other in order to be renewed. We need people in our corner to champion us when we get low, when we get off course, when we get sideswiped. 

And maybe, if you’re not desperate for renewal yourself right now, you’re the one God is asking to be the friend, the mentor, the ally. Maybe there’s someone around you who needs you to know that renewal will happen, and needs encouragement to keep moving forward.

Allies and accountability, partners and prayers, friends and faith. We’re called to walk this journey together.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK:

MONDAY

It’s hard to renew our minds on our own. Our thoughts and thought patterns are so personal and private, sometimes it’s like breathing, we’re barely aware of it. But when we are vulnerable and authentic with those we trust, when we share what’s in our minds, those unhealthy mindsets come to the forefront. Those in our inner circle are now able to see where we need renewal. Who regularly helps you renew your mind? Who do you share your innermost thoughts and default settings with? Name them today, and thank God for them in your life. Then give them express permission to (gently) speak into the places where you are stuck in an unhealthy mindset.

“A true friend loves regardless of the situation, and a real brother exists to share the tough times.” (Proverbs 17:17, The Voice)

TUESDAY

Mentorship can be a hard thing to find. It can be scary to just ask someone to mentor you; sometimes the official programs through churches can leave with you one that’s not a great fit. But mentorship is vitally important in our spiritual growth. While no mentorship relationship will be perfect (because, hello, human beings), there will always be something positive God will teach you and show you through that relationship. If you don’t have a mentor but want one, think about one or two people who you spiritually admire. Maybe it’s their grace-filled way of life, or their prayer-warrior ways. Pray and ask God to show you who might be a good fit for you, for this season in your life. It doesn’t have to be forever. Then be strong and courageous and simply ask. The worst they’ll say is no, but more than likely they will say yes. Structure your mentorship relationship however works best for both of you; there’s no one right way. Take the pressure off of yourself for it to look one specific way, and be willing to be flexible and let look how God designs.

“When they reached the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘What can I do for you before I’m taken from you? Ask anything.’ Elisha said, ‘Your life repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just like you.'” (2 Kings 2:9, The Message)

WEDNESDAY

We all have friends who fulfill different roles. I know just who to call if I want someone to agree with me and tell me what I want to hear. But I also know who to call if I need to hear the truth, even if it’s hard to hear. Our allies are the ones who are wholly in our corner–they’ve got our backs, and will battle for us. But they’re also the ones who see our need before we can even vocalize it. They’re the ones who pray for us, not as in praying over us, but literally praying instead of us, because we’re too weak to do it. They text us scripture when prompted, send songs to encourage. They are our people. Identify your allies today, write their names in your journal and what specifically you love about each one of them. Send each of them a text (or call them!) and let them know how much it means to you that they’re in your circle.

“It takes a grinding wheel to sharpen a blade, and so one person sharpens the character of another.” (Proverbs 27:17, The Passion Translation)

THURSDAY

Are you in a season where God is calling you to be the friend, the mentor, the ally? Maybe you’ve felt a nudge to be there for someone in a deeper way than you have before. Maybe God has put the face of someone on your heart and you can’t quite shake it. Ask God specifically if it’s time for you to start mentoring someone. Ask him if someone in your circle is hurting deeper than you even know. He will show you how to best be a sister to them; how to best be His hands and feet. Be courageous enough to do it.

“The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body.” (Romans 12:5, The Message)

FRIDAY

Isolation has been killing us slowly, moreso the last year than ever before. We church from home, work from home, watch movies from home–and all that leads to being home, and alone, more than any other time in our history. While we have to be smart about it, we also can’t live an abundant life in Christ in isolation. We need each other. God saw that Adam needed a helper, not just to give him a spouse, but because all of nature and animals in isolation wasn’t enough. Even Jesus had close, human relationships while on Earth. We have a divine-sized need for relationships, for loyalty, for connection with each other. It may feel impossible, but find the strength and courage to reach out and begin exploring ways to get connected to believers today. Pay attention when God brings hints and winks of how to connect across your path. If you want true renewal, stop making excuses and welcome the power of people into the process.

“This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning.” (Hebrews 10:25, The Passion Translation)

WANT TO HEAR MORE?

Go back and listen to one of our earlier podcasts on the Be Renewed in Strength, from the series Be Renewed.