Renewing Your Mind
“For as he (a person) thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7, KJV).
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (”Romans 12:2, NIV).”
What self talk (thinking) do we tell ourselves about ourselves? Are the images we think about ourselves and the words we use to speak of ourselves or others reflective of God’s truth or are they primarily negative, critical? We usually feel one way and we think that is the truth about who we are, but do our feelings reflect the truth of God’s word about who we are, who God is, what God is doing in our lives? If we think “I’m a screw up, I’m a loser, I can’t do anything right.” Is that the truth from Gods word, who God has created us to be? Who he has saved us to be if we are a Christian?
We are not to conform to the patterns of this world and it’s thinking, or be influenced by its priorities but to be transformed in our thinking, to reprogram our thoughts according to God’s truth, but we can only do that if we are marinating in the truth of his word. If we are hiding God’s word in our heart (Psalm 119:11) so that it becomes our primary thought patterns. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). “I am a sinner who has been justified and redeemed by Jesus” (Romans 3:23). “I am set free from the power of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). “I have been given the Holy Spirit and have life” (Romans 8:11). “I am a child of God and can call on my Heavenly Father, my Papa” (Romans 8:16).
God has already done the miraculous work of changing us through Jesus Christ, but we have to choose to change our thinking, to renew our minds. God cannot do that for us.