Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 2:5 NKJV
We must never underestimate the importance of the mind, as it is vital in making our internal transformation an external reality. Strong heart and soul muscles reveal our potential, but it is the mind muscle that unleashes it. Our thoughts are like a train; they take us somewhere.
Proverbs 23:7 teaches us that as we think in our hearts, so we are. In other words, who we are today is a result of the thoughts that we have been thinking lately. Similarly, who we will be tomorrow will be the result of the thoughts we think today. And I’m not talking about the thoughts that we think we’re thinking about ourselves; I’m talking about what we truly think about ourselves deep down.
So many of us believe that who we are today is the result of our upbringing, socioeconomic background, education, gender, or ethnicity. Of course, all those factors have played a role in forming who we are, but ultimately our true identities are a result of the patterns of thinking we have developed as a response to our background and circumstances. In short, if we want to change our lives, we must change the way we think.
The strength of our mind muscle is not determined by our IQ level, how well we did on our college entrance exams, or how many academic degrees we have obtained. Nor does it depend on how much biblical or theological knowledge we have. The quality of our mind muscle depends on how much of God’s truth (as found in his Word) we believe and apply to our everyday lives. Our thoughts — which for many of us have been shaped by the forces of culture, tradition, our religious experience, the media, and our family and friends — have to be supplanted by the truth of the Word of God.
There is only one surefire way for us to strengthen our mind muscle, and that is by committing ourselves to the process of renewing our minds. It helped me move from the prison of my past into the future God had for me.
MOMENT OF REFLECTION
What do you consider to be the greatest factor in shaping your thoughts?
In what ways do you think your thoughts need to change?