We all remember the moment we invited Jesus to be our Lord, and our lives dramatically improved. For most of us, these defining moments were when we felt God strongest, and our faith soared in this one moment of glory.
These moments are like the parable of the sower in Mark 4 when the seed of God’s Word comes into the soil of our hearts for the first time. Many of us receive the Word with joy at first and are gladly willing to walk in obedience.
However, after some time, we find ourselves going backward. Feeling guilty and ashamed, we start trying to manage our behaviors better and force ourselves into obedience again, only to fall flat on our faces.
Oftentimes, the root of disobedience doesn’t come from an unwillingness to change but an unrenewed mind.
Let’s take a look at how to renew your mind so that you can faithfully follow Jesus and be an effective disciple.
Actions are Connected to Thoughts
Proverbs 23:7 says, “Whatever a man thinks, so is he.”
Paul also says to be renewed in the “spirit” of your mind. (Ephesians 4:23). This implies that there is something deeper than an academic apprehension of God. It’s deeper than the ability to quote scripture.
Many of us have memorized the Bible, but we struggle to live it out. This is because what we believe in the “spirit” of our minds directly affects our actions.
You might be completely unaware that you don’t truly believe what God’s Word says, even though you quote it. One way to find out what your heart truly believes is to take an assessment of your actions.
Evaluate Your Words, Thoughts and Emotions
Why do you do the things that you do? What lies are you believing that cause you to do those things?
2 Corinthians 10:5 says we must be diligent to “take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.”
Keep a journal of your thoughts, emotions, and words. Luke 6:45 tells us that “out of the heart the mouth speaks,” and studying your words will help you discover what you really believe in your heart.
Take time to pray through what you find, and ask God to reveal the lies you believe cause these thought patterns to occur.
Take Action
Start with Prayer
Do you notice any themes in your thought life that suggest specific lies about God’s character? These lies can usually be traced to our upbringing and the trauma of life events.
Forgive whoever you need to forgive, whether it’s yourself or someone else. Release those people from your life who may have distorted your view of God.
Go to Scripture
Ask God to reveal scriptures that counter the lies you identified. You can use index cards or a journal to write these scriptures out and keep them handy whenever these lies come back.
It may also help to study certain characters in the Bible who struggled with similar lies or behaviors. For example, if you struggle with a pattern of pride and earning God’s love, study how Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and religious leaders.
Speak the Truth
Take the scriptures you wrote down and speak them out loud every day. You can even turn these scriptures into declarations about God and yourself.
For example, if the scripture you’re meditating on is “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18), make this scripture personal by inserting yourself into it and saying something like, “I don’t have to be afraid that God will leave me.”
This declaration addresses the lie (God will abandon me) and the spirit of fear attached to it.
Be consistent about meditating on these scriptures and declaring the truth. You may not feel like anything is changing at first, but with time, you will notice your heart starting to line up with your mouth.
Despise the Shame
When it comes to cycles of disobedience, there is always the voice of shame and condemnation that wants to keep you trapped.
It’s important to recognize that you want to change your behaviors and are willing to. Otherwise, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. God sees your willingness and gives mercy to those who humble themselves.
If you are struggling with shame, guilt, and condemnation, one way to start renewing your mind is by meditating on Hebrews 12:1-2. It says that Jesus went to the cross gladly. He wasn’t ashamed of us, and He didn’t do it begrudgingly. It was His joy.
Not only that, but Jesus is ultimately the Author and Finisher of our faith—meaning we didn’t start this thing on our own, and we can’t finish it either.
Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus despised the shame. Although He was naked and exposed, beaten and humiliated, He didn’t take the time to entertain shame. If this is how Jesus reacted to shame, we can shake it off, too.
Renew Your Mind with Biblical Teaching
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