In Philippians 2:5 it says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (NLT)
Changing my life requires new thinking. The battle to change the defects in my life is always a mental battle. It starts in the mind—and that’s where the battle is won or lost.
Ephesians 4:23 says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (NLT).
I’m not going to change until my thoughts and attitude change. This is why a daily quiet time is important. The time I spend intentionally studying God’s Word and in conversation with him through prayer is the spiritual renewal in my mind. Even with the Holy Spirit, it takes spiritual discipline to have the power to change. I have to get to know God so I know what he expects from and desires for me.
The theological term for “change of mind” is the word “repentance.” To repent literally means to change your mind.
The word “repent” is actually a Greek word: metanoia. Metanoia means to change your mind—to turn from death to life, sin to forgiveness, guilt to peace of mind, hell to heaven. You turn from “my way” to God’s way. The most positive change in life will be when I repent of my sin and turn from regret to forgiveness and peace of mind.
I have to learn to think in new ways about my defects. Defects are often strengths being misused. That’s a new way of thinking. I probably never thought of it that way, but that’s repentance! That’s a change of mind. My defects are often the strengths God gave me that are being misused.
I have to change the way I think so I can make the most of my strengths instead. To do that, I “must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).
God wants me to learn to think like Jesus. How do I do that? Again, it’s a choice. I’ve got to make a choice and say, “Lord, how would Jesus think about this?” The more I fill my mind with God’s Word, the easier that’s going to be.
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