Our opening scripture is from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Here he tells them to change their mindsets so that they can become more spiritual and discerning and essentially change their lives.
God is a spirit and everyone who comes to Him must do so in the spirit also. If you want to hear from God and know what His will is for you then you must be able to connect with Him supernaturally. But you cannot walk in the spirit if you’re giving all of your attention to the things of the natural.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
– Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Philippians 2:5
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
Do not conform to the pattern of this world
Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” What does this mean? The Greek word for “conform” in the passage is “syschēmatizō,” which means “to form according to a pattern or mold.”
In other words, Paul is telling us not to allow this world to change us into what it is; to become like it. You can live in this world, but don’t live your life by this world. The world is full of evil, hatred, worries, strife, anger, bitterness, and rebellion, but God gives us love, peace, joy, mercy, and eternal life in abundance.
God wants us to renew our minds so that we can grow progressively. Here’s how to do this:
Renew your mind with the word of God:
The word of God has all the teachings and truths you will need to reprogram your mind and reshape your life. When you study scripture in faith, the words will come alive in you. They will open your eyes to the supernatural.
Though the world says you’re weak, the word of God says you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). Feeling defeated? His word says you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:27). Feeling unloved? Your heavenly Father loves you more than you can ever imagine (1 John 3:1).
Your mind must absorb the word of faith:
Right now, many Christians are going through stress in their lives, be it as a result of the pandemic or other issues. But we’re not going to build on that. Rather we’re going to build on faith with God because situations are temporal but God is eternal.
Don’t allow the circumstances of this world to break you. Live your life by faith and not by what you see around you (2 Corinthians 5:7). Speak words of faith and hope into your life. You may not see Him but God is always with you. He has promised to never leave you, no matter what life throws at you.
Stay away from negativity:
You cannot keep feeding your life with negativity and expect to live positively and victoriously. If you allow other people to bring their negativity into your life you’re going to lose your positivity. You’ll soon start talking like them, being revengeful and carnal, and you’ll lose your victory.
To have a positive mindset you have to keep feeding positive things into your life. Fellowship with other like-minded believers, listen to sermons, feed your mind and spirit with the things of Christ. As Paul said in Philippians 2:5, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as
Christ Jesus.”
Conclusion
What kind of mindset do you have? A positive or a negative one? One that relies on the word of God or one that listens to the lies of the prince of this world? As a believer, you cannot allow stale thoughts to take root in you.
Renew your mind by constantly studying and meditating on the word of God, spending time with true believers, and doing away with anything that’s bringing negativity into your life. Allow God’s Spirit to transform you, to put energy and color back into your life, and stir you to your next level.
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