I believe strongly in the Bible’s commands to change your mind. Real transformation starts to happen when we think differently – thinking differently certainly changes our behaviors. Romans 12:2: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That’s really powerful to me, and something we as Christians really need to take seriously.
So, here are four ways the transformed mind DOESN’T think:
1. The transformed mind doesn’t LIKE JESUS
I LIKE pizza. I LIKE hiking and running. These are things that fill my tummy and my time. There are certain days of the week we like or certain people in our lives. But we should never LIKE Jesus like we like something else. Jesus demands an allegiance that far outweighs the term “like”. He demonstrated and demands a love of great sacrifice. The transformed mind seeks to serve Him.
2. The transformed mind doesn’t USE JESUS.
A lot of people use Jesus like He is some sort of pill you take when you feel bad about yourself. NO! That is not someone who is transformed in their thinking. Jesus should the center of our thinking, the one we look to serve in all ways and at all times. He is not something we use to get a leg up or just to feel better. The transformed mind is consumed by Jesus rather than using Him sparingly from time to time.
3. The transformed mind doesn’t ADD JESUS
Faith in Jesus isn’t something we just add to whatever we’re already doing. So many people want to add Jesus to all the trashy music and TV they fill their mind with. Jesus will never transform our thinking if we just want to add Him to the rest of what we want to do. We MUST give Him control and put Him first and let Him tell us what the priorities should be, rather than us placing Him where we’re comfortable.
4. The transformed mind doesn’t POSTPONE JESUS.
This is especially true for younger people, but I really think a lot of people figure they’ll make Jesus a priority later. Oh if we had urgency about Jesus, like He was coming back tomorrow. Oh, if we could convince younger people to understand you don’t have to wait till later to re-work your mind and the way you think. The transformed mind lets Jesus influence us and our schedule, rather than us telling Him where He fits on our timeline.
I hope you find these ideas challenging. Is your mind transformed? Which of these is the biggest challenge?