Renewing Your Mind
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
The last few days, we’ve identified a spiritual minefield. The real battleground between God and Satan is in your head. If Satan can convince you of a lie, then he can begin to manipulate your behavior. You may have heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” The greater truth is, “You are what you think.” Our minds are a battlefield. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he….”
Because our thought life has such control over what we believe and how we act, the Bible gives us this clear command with a promise of hope! In Romans 12:2 (NIV), we’re told, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
I love how practical the Bible is. God doesn’t just tell us what not to do, but He also tells us what to do! That’s where God bows Himself out and leaves us there on the threshold of our own will to choose. Will we choose to conform to the pattern of this world, try to be like everyone around us, fit in? Or will we choose to be transformed by the renewing of our mind and stand out?
I knew a man who had spent most of his younger life trying desperately to fit in. Because his friends were doing drugs, he joined the party and soon became addicted. He told me how he had virtually destroyed his mind on all sorts of drugs to the point that he couldn’t even remember driving his car from Texas to California. He could no longer concentrate and struggled just to read and perform basic mental functions. Doctors had given him little hope that he could regain enough cognitive ability to function normally again. In desperation, he turned to Christ for forgiveness and cried out for healing, wondering if it was too late for him. Soon he learned of this passage in Romans that offered him hope that his mind could be renewed! He knew that Jesus had forgiven him of his sin, given him a new life, and wanted to renew his mind. But how? He said, that as he began to meditate on Scripture, little by little, a transformational change began to take place. At first, he said it was so difficult because he couldn’t concentrate enough to read the Bible, so he began to just listen to the Bible on tape and tried to follow along with his eyes on the words being read. Before long, he was able to read it for himself. He began to experience the power of God’s Word from Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) which says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Through daily meditation on the truth of God’s Word, he found freedom! His mind was being renewed by the power of God’s Word! He began to memorize passages of Scripture like John 8:31-32 (NKJV), where Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
If you were to meet this man today, you would never know that he ever had such a mental struggle! He became a husband, father, and successful businessman that God is using to encourage others.
Just like him, we are all faced with the same choice. We can conform to the pattern of this world and lose our minds trying to fit in, or we can experience the transformative power of God’s Word to renew our minds and live in the freedom of His truth. The choice can change your life!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.