Come Out Of Your Cocoon
Paul turns now from the negative prohibition to a positive plea for transformation: But be transformed, he exhorts. The word he uses means to change into another form. We get our English word metamorphosis from it. God wants us to undergo a complete metamorphosis of inward character which finds expression in a different kind of outward conduct, much as a caterpillar is transformed into a beautiful floating butterfly. And the tense here indicates a continuous process. Day after day we are to be experiencing continual changes that bring us progressively into the likeness of Christ.151
The lives of Christians are to be different! They are to be marked by increasing obedience to the Word of God. And we shall not be able to discern Gods guidance apart from this kind of transformed living. Why should God reveal his will to us in matters not specifically mentioned in his Word when we have shown little interest in obeying what he has already revealed? Its not fair of us to ask him for direction in one matter when we have willfully rejected his clear direction in other matters.
We pray, Lord, show me your will. But he has already shown it to us in areas which we may have conveniently ignored. And we cannot discover the next step in his plan for our lives until we demonstrate our sincerity by obeying what we already know. The key to knowing the will of God is not only a decisive act of surrender, but also a daily life of obedience.
You Can Listen To The Podcast Episode This Blog Post Is Based On Here
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Reasons To Renew Your Mind In 2021
I once heard there is no standing still in life. You are either moving forward, or you are moving backward, but you cannot just stay where you are.
Well, 2020 may have hit you with a lot of things that moved you backward, and if you think you can coast through the beginning of 2021 and wait it out I would challenge that thought. In a time when everything seems to be on pause, taking time to renew your mind will make 2021 a year of moving forward!
So, what does it actually mean to renew your mind?
Renewing your mind means to do away with unhealthy thought patterns and to replace them with true, godly ones. Most importantly, it is impossible to do without Gods help.
Here are three reasons WHY you should renew your mind in 2021.
1) Renewing Your Mind Gets You Out of Your Head
Dont copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2a, NLT
If there is anything I need less of in 2021, it is time with my own thoughts and opinions! Even when I read news articles, social posts, and headlines, I still have to think about if I agree with what is being said.
But when we renew our minds, we are reading scripture. It is not an opinion it is the truth. Rather than having an opinion about its validity, I instead get to ask for Gods help to align my thoughts with the truth I am reading!
2) Renewing Your Mind Changes You
3) Renewing Your Mind Gives You Purpose + Direction
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Renewing Your Mind Is A Great Way To Begin Living A More Healthy And Joyful Life
In the past when I had depression and anxiety my thoughts would just flow through my mind and I didnt understand the importance of being aware of what I was thinking about.
Just to be clear I am not a psychologist and what I am sharing with you today is what I have learned through personal study, my own life experience and reading Gods Word.
This podcast episode and blog post do not replace professional expert advice, but Im excited to share with you tips for renewing your mind I have learned over the last few years and which I believe may be helpful for you.
There is a lot of evidence in current scientific research that neural pathways in our brains are strengthened over time and with repetitive use. What is understood is that these pathways are strengthened and that the brain tends to use the pathways that require the least amount of energy.
Bible Verses About Renewal Renewing Your Mind & Renewing My Mind: Gods Word Renews Our Minds
10 Bible Verses about Renewal, Renewing Your Mind, & Renewing My Mind:Gods Word Renews Our Minds.
What does the Bible say about Renewal?Join us as we explore 10 Inspirational, Motivational, Uplifting & Encouraging Bible Verses, Scriptures, Quotes & Passages about Renewal, Renewing Your Mind, & Renewing My Mind. Dear Friends, Gods Word Renews Our Minds! May we all be encouraged, strengthened and renewed as we continually read and meditate on Gods Word as well as put it into practice in our lives.
10 Bible Verses about Renewal2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away behold, the new has come.
Romans 12:2, NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Colossians 3:10-11, NLT Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesnt matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Ephesians 4:23, NLTlet the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
Galatians 5:22-23, ESVthe fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against such things there is no law.
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What Does The Bible Say About Controlling Your Thoughts
1. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
3. Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
4. Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
5. Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6. Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
7. Colossians 3:12-14 Put on then, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
What Are We Focusing On
When we first what we are thinking about it can take extensive effort to rewire and train our brains to focus on more positive, uplifting thoughts and create beneficial habits. If we have been thinking negatively over a long period of time, you can take focused effort to retrain our natural thought patterns.
The Bible spoke about this thousands of years ago. It mentionsthe importance of transforming our minds to be aligned with goodness, optimism, and Gods will for our lives. A beautiful verse is from Romans 12 Verse 12.
From the Berean study Bible
Do not be conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:12
Renewing my mind personally has taken quite a lot of time but I am much more aware now of what Im thinking about. The benefit of this is that if I start to feel upset, sad, frustrated, or envious I can now recognise that I am thinking about negative things and this is leading to certain emotions.
I dont very often feel sad for extended periods of time any more. When I have moments of sadness I stop and I reflect and I think about what has been on my mind for the last five minutes or 10 minutes or the last hour. I usually recognise at this point that perhaps my mind has been focusing on negative things, comparing my life to others, or feeling negative about myself in some way.
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Bible Verses About Controlling Your Thoughts
If were honest, we all struggle to control our thoughts. Ungodly and evil thoughts are constantly seeking to wage war in our minds. The question is, do you dwell on those thoughts or fight to switch those thoughts? First and foremost, God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In our struggle, we can rest in the perfect work of Christ on our behalf. Secondly, those who have placed their faith in Christ alone for salvation have been given the Holy Spirit, who helps us fight against sin and temptation.
The Holy Spirits Double Work
Now, what is the double work that he must do to renew our minds so that all of life becomes worship? 2 Corinthians 3:18 sets the stage for the answer:
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
What does the Spirit do to transform us into the image of the God-exalting Son of God? He enables us to behold the glory of the Lord. This is how the mind is renewed by steadfastly gazing at the glories of Christ for what they really are.
But to enable us to do that, the Spirit must do a double work. He must work in two directions: from the outside in and from the inside out. He must work from the outside in by exposing the mind to Christ-exalting truth. That is, he must lead us to hear the gospel, to read the Bible, to study Christ-exalting writings of great, spiritual men, and to meditate on the perfections of Christ.
This is exactly what our great enemy does not want us to do according to 2 Corinthians 4:4, The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Because to see that for what it really is, Paul says, will renew the mind and transform the life and produce unending worship.
The Spirit renews the mind. It is first and decisively his work.
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By The Renewal Of Your Mind
But today I want to focus on the phrase in Romans 12:2, by the renewal of your mind. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed , that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We are perfectly useless as Christ-exalting Christians if all we do is conform to the world around us. And the key to not wasting our lives with this kind of success and prosperity, Paul says, is being transformed. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.
That word is used one time in all the gospels, namely, about Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration : And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light .
What Is A Renewed Mind
Lets look at Romans 12:2 again,
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect perfect will of God.
In this scripture, the apostle Paul is telling us that we are to be transformed by changing the way we think, but he is also showing us what a renewed mind is.
A renewed mind is a mind that is able to prove the will of God by understanding the will of God. It is a mind that thinks God thoughts, to prove Gods ways. Simple, right?
But there are some who will mention Isaiah 55:9 in objection and say, But the Bible says that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.
Yes, that was a reality under the Old Covenant, but the Bible makes it clear in the New Covenant that since we have the Spirit of God in us we can know Gods thoughts.
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may KNOW THE THINGS FREELY GIVEN TO US BY GOD, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. .
So what does it mean to prove Gods will?
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Renewing Your Mind In Christ 5 Helpful Steps
Renewing Your Mind in Christ. Have you made any new years resolutions? The most popular new years resolutions tend to revolve around health and fitness, organization, saving money, traveling, hobbies, and general life wellness and productivity.
While those are all good goals to have, sadly, most of those goals tend to fall by the wayside after a short period of time unless you are actively committed to them. With any resolution, consistency is key.
So what about your personal plans for growth this year? Where are you in your spiritual walk? Perhaps youve started a Bible plan or recommitted to going to church. Those are some great starts, but you can do even more. How about renewing your mind in Christ?
Truly, its all about Jesus.At the heart of a true spiritual renewal is a focus on Christ Jesus, and who He is, and what Hes done for you. The only way you can let that resonate with you is by spending alone time with Him in prayer as a way of remaining in constant communication.
The trust you develop in leaning on His ways over yours, and learning more about Him by reading the Bible, will improve your ability to do and be more in Christ than you can ever by just going to church, listening to Christian music, surrounding yourself with spiritual people, or checking off passages of scripture by rote.
Renewing Your Mind in Christ by Natasha Polak
Blessings,
Being A New Creation In Christ
15. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
16. Galatians 2:19-20 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
17. Isaiah 43:18 Do not call to mind the former things pay no attention to the things of old.
18. Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
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How Scripture Memorization Can Renew Your Mind
In his letter to the Romans, Paul takes eleven chapters to explain the big ideas that frame Christian beliefhuman sin, Gods judgment, Gods grace, the centrality of faith, the work of Christ, Christian hope, and the place of Israel in Gods plan. He paints these ideas in big, glorious brushstrokes. But then, as he launches into his twelfth chapter, he draws down to the fine detail. What does all this mean for you Romans? Well, in light of everything Ive just explained to you, Paul says, God asks you to surrender everything you have, body and soul.
That is, offer your bodies as living sacrifices and submit to the renewing of your mind . Thats the beautiful dance of orthopraxy and orthodoxy .
Body and soul.
Outer actions and inner thoughts.
Offer it all to him.
However, Paul knew that before the recently-converted Romans could embrace godly living, they needed their minds to be renewed.
Imagine Paul hosting a home improvement show and walking into the filthy, derelict house of the pagan mind.
This is as true for us today as it was for the first-century Romans. We might not need to purge ourselves of our old Roman pagan worldview, but we do need to retrain our brains to be less self-focused and self-defeating and to be centered more on Christ.
As Paul tells the Colossians, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things .
But how does Scripture memorization fit into all this?