Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
Our thoughts hold incredible power. They shape our perceptions, guide our actions, and ultimately determine the direction of our lives. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7, ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.’ Our inner thoughts define who we are and the life we experience. In Romans 12:2 we’re reminded to ‘be transformed by the renewing of our mind.’ It’s through this renewal that we align with God’s perfect will for our lives and step into the fullness of His promises. In this new year, through the power of God’s Word and the renewal of your mind, you can uproot the weeds of negative thinking and plant seeds of truth that will bear fruit in every area of your life. Join us as we discover how this transformation is possible in this article.
If you renew your mind, you will renew your life. I want to encourage you to spend more time in the Word of God, especially considering the challenges we face in our generation and culture. With everything happening economically and around the world, it’s important to seek guidance and wisdom through scripture. It is truly beneficial to spend more time in the word of God rather than less. Proverbs 23:7 is such an important scripture, “As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he. Your way of thinking determines your way of life. Wherever your mind leads you, that is where you will go. And like the writer of proverbs says, the way we think determines how we live and who we are. That’s why we need to “think about what we’re thinking about.”
Romans 12:1-2 is a very familiar scripture for most of us, but let’s retake a look at it today. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed”. How? “By the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
From this text of scripture, we discover that God does not want us to be conformed to the ways of the world or in other words, how the world thinks. He says if we renew our minds with the word of God, we’re going to be able to actually live differently from the way the world lives. We’re going to be able to live transformed lives instead of conforming to the world’s way of thinking.
“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:1-5).
Before we believe in Jesus, we are dead in our spirit to God, blind to His ways, unable to communicate with Him, and eternally separated from Him because of our sinful nature. When we are not born again, we are guided by our soul because our spirit is dead; we do not have a spirit that is alive to God until we are born again. The soul is accustomed to being in control, and for many in the world, they follow the common notion. People often hear things like, “Do whatever feels good,” or “Do what you think is right.” The issue is that we become so accustomed to these patterns in our lives that they feel normal to us. We cannot change any of this by our own works. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins”. Dead people can’t help themselves. They can’t move, talk, or respond in any way because they have no life. The only thing that can change our condition is a new spirit and a new life – which is Christ’s gift to us when we believe in Him as our Saviour. We were given life through Christ when we were dead in our sins. When you get born again, God takes that dead, corrupt spirit out of you and you don’t have that demonic sinful nature on the inside of you anymore. You’ve got a brand-new nature.
" If you struggle with negative thinking, it's important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won't change until your thinking does. "
This was an act of grace independent of our efforts and works (Romans 3:27 and 11:6). God gave Christ’s life to us who were dead in sin. Truly, salvation rests in the work of God through Christ alone. 17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You may sometimes think, “Wait a minute, I still have the desire for certain things.” It’s not because your nature has changed, but because you haven’t renewed your mind. Your mind is quite similar to a computer; it has been programmed to be selfish. It tends to focus solely on your own needs and perspectives, often only seeking help or turning to God when you find yourself in a dire situation.
Your mind was shaped by experiences, and you will continue to experience similar desires and impulses you had before being born again until you transform your thinking through the word of God. God teaches us that after being called out of darkness and into His marvellous light, there is a process we must undergo to truly experience a transformation in our thought lives. This transformation helps us move away from old patterns, where our soul was often in control and allows us to establish a new way of thinking. As a result, we begin to live in a new and different way. We start to break free from old patterns, where our souls once dominated our thoughts. As we establish this new way of thinking, we also begin to develop a new way of living. Thoughts are powerful, and according to Proverbs 23:7, they have creative ability. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he”. Your life is going to go the way of your dominant thought – which is why you must renew your thoughts with the Word of God! You will never experience God beyond what you think. So, if you want to experience Him properly, you need what the Word says.
A person is shaped by their inner thoughts. If you don’t renew your mindset and align your thoughts with the word of God, negative thinking can lead to unfavourable outcomes in your life. It’s important to recognize and address any incorrect beliefs you may hold, as they can ultimately affect your experiences. For example, God is who He is regardless of what you think. But as far as your experience goes, you will never experience God beyond what you think. If your doctrine is wrong your experience is going to be wrong. In fact, you cannot have a positive, exciting life and a negative mind. Many are unhappy with their lives because the minute they wake up in the morning, they start thinking negative, sad, depressing things. We need to renew our minds with the word of God. Maybe you’ve spent years thinking wrong thoughts based on a depraved, dysfunctional past, but that can change today.
If you struggle with negative thinking, it’s important for you to come to grips with the fact that your life won’t change until your thinking does. Thinking God’s thoughts is vital for change. “11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
You see, God has a wonderful life planned for every single one of us. Change your thinking and go for what God has planned for you. The Bible says that God loves us, but have you ever struggled to believe this? I have learned that if we never meditate on God’s Word, we will never experience the depth of His love for us. The love of God is meant to be a powerful force in our lives, one that will take us through even the most difficult trials into victory.
