Do not be conformed to this world, but continuously be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is-what is proper, pleasing, and perfect. Romans 12:2 ISV
Why is it that so many very intelligent people are desperately poor? How come so many genuine believers with good intentions remain stuck for years and years? Why do we continue to struggle with the same issues ad infinitum? Our text today has the answer. Read on!
So far we have learned two steps that propel us towards living our best life, namely our daily physical surrender to God and shunning worldly conformity. Now, the third step is to REMODEL OUR THINKING PATTERNS. The Bible calls it “the renewing of your mind”. Please note that transformation is the result, while mind renewal is the process. That means unless we see to it that our way of thinking is renewed, our lives will never change. Why is it like that beloveds?
You see, all our behaviours are determined by our THINKING PATTERNS. Some patterns of thinking are helpful to you while others are unhelpful. You and I can have the greatest potential in the world, but if our thought patterns are faulty, our behaviour will also be distorted. This is simply because the way we think determines our behaviour.
Look, this has nothing to do with mental intelligence! Having a very high IQ does not guarantee a worthy life. That is why so many so-called geniuses lead pitiful, immoral and miserable lives. So many brilliant people are poor, while so many ordinary people of average intelligence are prosperous.
So don’t waste your time wishing you were more intelligent. Don’t wallow in self-pity on account of your so-called average brains. At any rate, you cannot do much about your brains, can you? Don’t also boast about how brilliant you are. What only matters is HOW YOU THINK.
Make it your goal to remould your thinking patterns. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you wrong paradigms that ruin your life. Review your life principles, values, attitudes, assumptions and suppositions. Be willing to interrogate your personal philosophy. For if you don’t change your thought patterns, you will continue to obtain the same lousy results.
Our lives will be transformed radically when we learn to think right. The devil is happy for us to remain happy-clappy, religious and fanatical as long as our minds are not renewed. For nothing will really change until our thinking patterns are truly updated. God’s word and His Spirit are the key. Here’s to renewed minds! Pastor Josh