Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23–24 (NKJV)
When people become Christians, they are taught to clean up their behaviour and become better moral citizens. While there’s nothing wrong with that goal, we aren’t always taught how to make these life changes.
We may even be taught that renewing our minds is the key to change, but do we really know what that means? Some think that renewing the mind is just another term for behaviour modification or learning to be good. But renewing your mind is not just about being good. That’s just external behaviour modification.
Others think that renewing your mind is about getting to know God better. That may be true, but what does that look like? Does knowing God better mean you’ll sit in the lotus position all day, humming to yourself? Does it involve knowing God’s Word so well that you can point out all the sin in everyone else? Does it mean that you become so lovey-dovey that nothing fazes you to the point where you’re indifferent to all kinds of injustice? Is that what it means to arrive spiritually?
The reason I ask these questions is because I want you to really think about it. What does renewing your mind mean to you?
Renewing your mind is the life-long process of discovering the truth of who God is, who you really are and what you can have because of Jesus. It’s about changing your deep-down beliefs.
It’s not complicated or difficult. Just keep studying God’s Word and listen to great teaching. As you notice areas where your beliefs don’t line up, your beliefs will begin to change, and your world will naturally change for the better.