How to renew your mind.
“and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2
“set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” Colossians 3;2
“instead, let the spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy” Eph 4:23
For us to succeed in living out the purposes and plans that God has for us, we need to build a strong mind.
In God’s word, it says that we have a sound mind, the mind of Christ and sound judgement. It is part of our Identity in Christ.
Building a strong mind takes intentional habits.
How do we build a strong mind?
Building a strong mind starts with knowing who we are, our Identity in Christ. Our Identity in Christ is so important, because it is the foundation of who we are, and when we know who we are, we can be strong and secure in our Identity.
Knowing who God is to us
Meditation on God’s word
Self talk
Building a strong mind is so essential for us, as it will help us handle anything that comes our way in life. When we build strength in our resilience, courage, ability to handle difficult situations, we are able to go throughout our lives with confidence that we can overcome and conquer anything.
Our strength comes from our relationship with God.
We are strong, because of God, not our own strength.
You can only get so far in your life in your own strength, you own self belief and your own resilience.
The key to building strength is to build it on your dependance on God. We need God’s guidance, his comfort, love, peace, hope, strength, and his healing power all throughout every season of life.
Our dependence on him is our strength.
It says in God’s word that he will never leave us or forsake us, and so we have the promise of that when we face difficult things, he will be our strength.
To build a strong mind, we need to get rid of any mindsets or ways of thinking that are negative.
When we meditate on God’s word, we are creating new pathways in our mind, and renewing our mind with God’s word, and that helps us build a framework to build on.
When we meditate on who God is to us, we are filling our minds with hope that God is our strength, that he is in control and we can trust him.
How do we renew our mind?
Change the direction of negative thoughts by replacing them with God’s promises.
Studying God’s word in areas you need to grow in.
Focusing on what you are grateful and thankful for.
One of the most powerful ways to renew your mind is to start the habit of being thankful to God for everything you have and everything he has done.
When we focus on God's provision, blessing, abundance, peace, hope, healing, joy and restoration in our lives, it trains our mind to look for those things throughout our day.
A practical way to do this is first thing in the morning, think of 3 things you are thankful to God for. It could be that you are healthy, that it is a sunny day, or that you had a good nights sleep. At lunchtime, think of 3 more things that you are grateful for, and right before you go to bed, think of 3 things that have happened throughout your day, that you are thankful for. This will help renew your mind to be thankful to God for everything he has given you.
“and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” Colossians 3:17
I started a habit of “recording moments of joy” a few months ago. Every day, I look for things that bring me joy and stop and focus on that one thing and capture it in my mind. At the end of the day, I go through all the “moments of joy” that God has blessed me with and it reminds me of all the great things God has done. It has helped me to be more thankful for all the things that God has done and helped build my faith in God.
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” Psalm 107:21
I want to encourage you today, that wherever you are on your journey to renewing your mind, that God has promises all throughout his word that will help you change your mindset to become grateful, positive, life giving, so that you can flourish, thrive and succeed throughout your life.