Chewing

In Huck Finn, the reddest of necks gnaw on "chaws" of tobacco. This morning, I was chewing on a chaw of scripture.

"No longer be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Don't be conformed. Got it. Be transformed. Okay. BY renewing your mind... I feel like renewing implies a continual process... I don't think I had ever thought of that. It's like... pretend I'm red. The color red. And I want to be transformed into orange. So I do my devotions and put a drop of metaphorical yellow into myself. I don't know. I feel like if I want to be wholly transformed, I'll keep up that process. My humanity continually grows and branches and produces actions that make me more and more red -- so how can I not continue the process of squeezing that little dye bottle?

The metaphor isn't poetic, but that was my brain fetus this morning. I was not transformed into a creature of God when I accepted Christ. I was rather transformed into God's creature. The difference is that I had the ability to BECOME a creature of God. I allowed God to open my little soul's lid so He could pour down some of His goodness. I had something to accept and something to ask for when I received salvation. I haven't been renewing my mind. But I'd considered myself transformed. I'd never thought of this verse that way.