A Transformed Mind

The Power of a Transformed Mind

A few years back, I renovated one of our bathrooms. This part of our house is very old and was constructed using the Jenny-Lind technique. After so many years, it is no longer square. Truthfully, it is more of a trapezoid. When you build something that must fit fixtures designed for square corners and walls that are plumb to a level floor, it can be quite a challenge. At one point I hit something of a brick wall in the process and, I thought I had messed up the construction so badly that it might be impossible to fix. Negativity is all around us, and it can be contagious. My negative thinking made for a very bad day, and everyone around me knew it. I was no fun at all. I needed an attitude adjustment.

Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We live in a world filled with all sorts of negativity. The world tells us that we must work hard for everything we get and even then, someone is likely to cheat us out of it. It says that we should judge everyone else and look for the ways they might be falling short. It tells us not to trust. It says, “Look out for number one.” It is a fear monger, making us afraid of almost everything.

We also live in the Kingdom and domain of our heavenly Father. His kingdom says that we should rest in His finished work. Hebrews 4:9-10 says, “9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.” (NASB)

The Kingdom says we should accept every good and perfect gift He has given us. James 1:16-17 tells us “16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (NASB)

The Kingdom also tells us that no one can ever cheat us out of it. We see this idea in Romans 8:35 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (NASB) and 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 “20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” (NASB)

Father’s kingdom tells us to love everyone around us. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (NASB) It tells us that the best path is to look for what is good and right in them. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (NASB)

The Kingdom tells us to trust and walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith, not by sight—"(NASB) It says, “think of others as more important than yourself and look out for their interests too.” Philippians 2:3-4 “3 …with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NASB)

The Kingdom of God is a courage monger freeing us from fear of what is to come.1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” (NASB) Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (NASB)

Hebrews 13:5-6 “5 …He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

It is so important that we not allow the views and thoughts of the world system to distract us from the Truth of the Kingdom of God. When we do, we lose our bearings and become fearful, distressed, and sad.

There is good instruction in the Bible about all of this. It is found in a passage to which I find myself drawn often. Philippians 4:4-7 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NASB)

The Spirit of the Living God encourages us through the Apostle Paul to rejoice always and to let our gentle spirit be known to everyone. Did you know that you have a gentle spirit? You do! It is another aspect of the new creation, a trait of your new heart, and part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.

He goes on to remind us that the Lord is near. Jesus told us that He would never leave us, and He asked the Father to make us one as the Father and Son are one. (see John 17:11 & 22) He tells us through the Apostle Peter that we are participants in the divine nature. (see 2 Peter 1:4) That is as near as it gets. You are so close to Him that you are inseparable. That is one reason why John tells us in 1 John 4:17 that “as He is, so also are we in this world.” (NASB)

Next, He instructs us not to be anxious and to tell Him about the things that are bothering us. Trusting His heart for those things is exactly what Romans 12:2 means when it talks about proving the will of God to be good, acceptable, and perfect. In Philippians chapter 4, we learn that it results in incredible peace that guards our hearts and our minds. All of this is brought together in verse eight. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (NASB)

Look for what is good. Count your blessings. Dwell on these things. Spend time thinking about them. Remember who you are in Christ. Remember who He is and all He has done for you. Remember His great love. Remind yourself that it is His good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. You are a trust-fund baby—you have an inheritance that can never be used up—so you can relax and enjoy your life in comfort and without fear. Let us read that again just to make sure it stays with us: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (NASB)