Many Christians spend a lifetime trying to figure out God's will for their lives: What career should I choose? Where should I live? Whom should I marry?
God has told us his will for our lives: to be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). Paul explains: We are to put off the old self and put on the new self "created to be like God in true righteous and holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).
We cannot become more Christ-like in our own strength, though. Paul says the key is a renewed mind: "to be made new in the attitudes of your minds" (Ephesians 4:23). We exchange our patterns of thinking with God's Word. We fill our mind with Scripture, and slowly, we are transformed. Learning to think like Jesus helps us to act like Jesus.
This is where Bible memorization comes in. We need to get God's Word into our heads and into our hearts. When I feel resentful and unforgiving toward my friend who betrayed me and am tempted to end our relationship, I replace my thoughts and hurt feelings with Hebrews 13:1: "Keep on loving each other as brothers."
When I start to worry about my upcoming surgery or my children's college fund, I remind myself, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). God's Word is living, active, and powerful. Having these verses in my mind and heart helps me to choose new Christ-like behavior.
Here are fifty-two short Bible verses: Memorize one verse a week. Meditate on it daily. By the end of the year, you will see the transformative power of God's Word in renewing your mind and changing your behavior. As you are increasingly conformed to the image of Jesus, you will have the privilege of reflecting his love to the world.
