A Changed Life Starts with a Changed View

“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

Ideas have consequences. In fact, every idea has a consequence, for good or for bad. All of my ideas—the thoughts that settle in my mind—come together to make up my worldview, the beliefs I build my life on.

My worldview includes my beliefs about life, death, the past, the present, and the future. It includes my perspective on time, money, relationships, pain and suffering, and good and evil. It’s how I view God, myself, and other people. Everything I believe about life is part of my worldview. 

My worldview determines my choices. It can be explained like this: God wired my brain in such a way that before I make a decision, I instantly access all the information in my mind and ask, “What do I believe about this?” And then I make a choice—often without even realizing it—based on what I believe to be true. 

For example, I decide to walk across the street because I’ve looked both ways and believe I can make it across without a car hitting me. I make decisions like this literally tens of thousands of times a day. Every time I make a choice, I access my worldview.

We all spend our lives developing our worldviews, but when I begin a relationship with Christ, he offers me a new worldview. The Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).

When I step across that line spiritually—turning from my sins and trusting in God’s grace—I get a new identity. God says everything I’ve ever done wrong is completely forgiven—wiped out and forgotten! His Word (Scripture/Bible) calls it being born again. I get a fresh start in life. I get a new identity. And with that new identity, God offers me a new way to look at the world. He offers me a new worldview.

But sometimes my mind keeps playing old tapes. I keep seeing myself and others the way the world taught me to, not the way God does. When that happens, I need to get my worldview in line with God’s truth. In other words, when my false beliefs—my faulty worldview—are making me miserable, I can change them.

In the coming days, I’ll look at what’s true and what’s not true. This will help me know how to get my life in line with God’s truth and have the kind of worldview that will allow me to live out God’s purposes every day.

In summary:

My worldview—the collection of beliefs I hold about life, people, and God—shapes every decision I make, often without me even realizing it. But when I begin a relationship with Christ, I am made new, and with that new identity comes a new way of seeing the world. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, the old life is gone, and a new one begins. However, even after this transformation, it's easy to fall back into old thought patterns shaped by my past or culture. That’s why it’s essential to align my thinking with God’s truth, replacing false beliefs with the reality of who I am in Christ. By renewing my mind, I can live with clarity, purpose, and freedom in my new identity.

Bottom Line:

When I come to Christ, I receive a new identity and a new way of seeing the world—so I must continually renew my mind to align with God’s truth and live out His purpose for my life.