Can God Change Your Mind?
It’s easy to give into unhealthy patterns and the “ways of the world,” but what we don’t realize is that we end up repeating the same unhealthy cycles when we pay too much attention to the negative things and what we’re doing wrong.
We create lists of our sins and the things we need to improve.
We hit the pillow at night and think of how we should’ve done this better or how we failed at one of the many roles we play each day.
We obsess and self-analyze the many things we wish we could be that we aren’t, the qualities we think we should be, but aren’t.
However, by telling ourselves over and over that “this is wrong” or “I shouldn’t do this” or “if only I were better at this,” we end up focused on the exact thing we don’t want to be focused on.
We end up focused and overwhelmed by our own negative thoughts about our own negative behaviors.
It’s a difficult trap to break free from when often we aren’t even aware of being in it. Sometimes we may even think it’s good to be hyper-focused on our wrongdoings and shortcomings.
There is freedom from this. God’s Word says...
Romans 12:2 - 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.
When we turn our faces to God we are able to see the light. And as we stand in this light—our hearts illuminated by His grace—we are then able to live our lives in accordance with His perfect will.
How?
Not by focusing on what we’re doing wrong or what we could do better, but by focusing completely on God and His plan, His will, His goodness and mercy.
When our attention is directed toward His glory we naturally begin to align our hearts and minds toward His heart and mind. His desires naturally become our desires. His hopes naturally become our hopes. And so on. We are made new by His love.
We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds by immersing ourselves in His presence. As we remain in this place, our minds will be renewed without such an intense focus on ourselves or a long list of things we need to improve.
God does not want us to be hyper-focused on what we could do better. He simply wants us.
He wants a relationship with those He loves. And the profound thing about that is that a relationship with Him is the one thing that can truly transform us into the best versions of ourselves possible.
It is only by drawing near to Him and enveloping ourselves in all that He is, that we can begin to experience the depth of renewal and transformation we are seeking.
There is hope and light if we simply turn to Him and turn away from looking inward at ourselves all the time. Go forth this week Living Scripture Strong!