TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE BY RENEWING YOUR MIND

PASTOR'S CHRIS BLOG

In Proverbs 4:20-23, we are instructed:

"My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they
are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

This is a profound instruction. To keep your heart means to mount guard over it, to diligent about what enters your heart. You are responsible for the thoughts that fill your heart. Jesus once asked the scribes, "Why think ye evil thoughts?" It's important to be intentional about your thought life because out of your heart come the issues of life. Everything that will happen in your life flows from there-your thoughts shape your reality.

Your upbringing may have influenced your thinking, but the Word of God is the cure for any faulty patterns. You may not even realize the extent to which your environment has impacted you until you face certain situations. The words you heard growing up may have lodged in your system without your knowledge, shaping your responses in ways you don't even realize. But as a spirit being, you have the power to judge the things in your soul and correct them. Jesus said, "In your patience, possess ye your souls" (Luke 21:19). This means taking control of your thoughts and emotions.

When you find yourself thinking or reacting in ways that don't align with God's Word ask yourself, "Why am I like this? Why do 1 reason this way?" Reflect on your life and upbringing. Did you pick up negative traits from your family or environment? Whether it was fear, deception, or any other negative influence, you must recognize that these things don't have to define you.

Romans 12:2 tells us

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Your recreated human spirit is God's work, but the renewal of your mind is your responsibility. Your mind controls your behavior, not your spirit. Even though you have the nature of God when you are born again, your way of life will be dictated by your mind. That's why the transformation process happens through the renewal of your thinking. If you want to live the life God has called you to, you must work on your mind -transform it with excellent thoughts.

Years ago, the Lord spoke to me and said, "Son, see from the mountain top." And that's where I've learned to see from ever since--at the mountain top, where there are no shadows. It's a higher way of living, and it starts with renewing your mind through the Word of God.

Commit to working on yourself and continually align your thoughts, actions, and character with God's Word. This is how you fulfil your calling and achieve the success He has destined for you.