(What I am writing here is elementary, and will not sound groundbreaking...but the transformation is in the doing)
I started following Jesus at age 18 after having some radical encounters with God, and few months later I found myself in England in a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) due to my parents generosity. One of the first Bible verses that I ever memorized at this school was Romans 12:2.
(NIV) - 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.
I really connected to this verse because my whole mindset, heart, and worldview had been flipped upside down in a matter of months. I think I have heard this verse, and sermons on this verse hundreds of times since then. Renewing the mind is a fundamental truth in growing in relationship with God. Within the last year I feel like I have had a lot of breakthrough in this area of the renewed mind. I say this because during 2013 I encountered some really hard circumstances, but I noticed that there was a lot more emotional stability and peace during those times than I have ever experienced before. Basically, life and peace in these storms.
Joyce Meyers has a well known teaching on the renewed mind, and she talks about we all have “tapes” that play in our heads. A “tape” being series of thoughts that repeat over and over again in our minds. We all have them…and they typically not good.
“You are unattractive, and no one is ever going to marry you.”
“You’re too old and life has passed you by to do anything significant.”
“God just puts up with you, you are barely getting by, He doesn’t really Love you.”
“This cycle you are in is never going to change, you are stuck!”
Do any of these ring a bell? There are a many different varieties, and we hear them all the time. The enemy loves these “tapes” because they rob us of our true identity in Christ. The enemy desires us to be failure and sin focused, and he will be do whatever it takes to keep us from a “life” mindset. A “life” mindset is a renewed mindset, given by the Spirit, that leads to life and peace. (See Romans 8)
What does it mean to have the mind of the Spirit that is discussed in Romans chapter 8? God states that the mind set on the Spirit will lead to life and peace, and that what most of us crave...true life and peace. But we all don't experience it even though there is free access because of the work of Jesus. I am the kind of guy who wants to know how to live that out and experience it.
Obviously getting into the Word, listening to the Word being taught, and developing a prayer life are foundational to the renewed mind, but I learned another practice last year that helped renew my mind with drastic results.
There is something powerful about speaking out loud and living with an attitude of gratefulness. (Or...as I teach my kids..an attitude of gratitude) There is something about saying truth out loud that brings a shift.
(Just think about how your day goes when you do into work and start complaining out loud...there is a shift)
The enemy is the “father of lies” and our Heavenly Father gives only truth. We need our minds to be rebooted and programed with truth. The truth of a Father who loves us and really is on our side and wants the best for you.
So, whenever I hear a lie now I speak Gods truth in its place and speak it OUT LOUD until I start to believe it. This may or may not yield instant results (I have seen immediate breakthrough) but it is powerful.
Create a new truth tape. Example:
Lie - “I feel insignificant at my job and I am a nobody”
Out Loud Truth - “ Father I thank you my significance comes from you and I thank you for a job to provide for the family!”
Basically, I am that guy driving to work in the morning talking out loud in my Dave Ramsey Hooptie...my old Honda Accord. Here is what that looks like:
“I don’t know what is happening right now, but I know I can trust You and You have me in your hand”
“I thank you that the best years of my life are ahead of me and not behind me…you have plans for me!”
Some days I will literally discipline myself to be thankful for ten things, and speak these out loud, early in the morning...shifting mindsets. Hopefully, you get the idea and these statements in themselves are simple and elementary.
Here is the key. Doing It. Like NIKE. The transformed mind comes in doing it on a consistent basis. Again, the key to this is to actually put it into action. (James 2)
Life happens and storms are guaranteed to come, but I have found speaking truth out loud laced with a heavy dose of thankfulness has made all the difference in the world. Our emotions would seek to rule us with those little “tapes” that always play.
Truth out loud...it has had a huge impact in my life, and I hope it does yours.
