Be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude].
Ephesians 4:23 AMP
How busy are you? Do you find yourself being overwhelmed with family, ministry or work place responsibilities? Is it possible to prioritize your life in a way that allows you to prioritize the “matters” clamoring for your attention? How can you mind the matters in your life without losing focus on the kingdom of God? Renewing your mind daily is the key to gaining the mind of Christ in every circumstance.
Renewing Your Mind
The Apostle Paul encouraged believers to be continually renewed in the spirit of their mind. What does it mean to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and how do we accomplish this? First, let’s understand what it means to renew something. According to Merriam Webster, renew means “to make like new; to restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection.” As an example, when we sleep, we renew our strength. From a spiritual perspective, to renew means to be revived, reset, regenerated and restored. To be renewed in the spirit of your mind is to allow God’s perspective to direct your course of action in life matters.
The 7 Benefits of Renewing Your Mind
- Strength. When you experience renewal, you receive strength from Heaven.
- Joy. The stresses of life can rob you of joy. Joy is connected to strength. When our joy is renewed, our strength increases.
- Peace. When you walk in peace your mental and spiritual attitude creates a sense of well-being. When you choose to walk in peace, the stresses of life cannot overwhelm you. Reading the word of God, and prayer and meditation on His word help you to walk in peace (Isaiah 26:3).
- Focus. When your mind is renewed, your thoughts align with God’s thoughts. You see your situation from God’s perspective. This is a way to experience mind over matter. Life will always have moments when you feel overwhelmed. When this happens, we can lose perspective and focus.
- Trust. God is committed to helping you overcome every obstacle confronting you. Trusting God is relying on His ability to bring you through difficult times and work all things together for your benefit (Romans 8:28).
- Love. The assurance that God is with us in difficult times, helping and sustaining us, demonstrates His love for us and increases our love for Him. No matter what you experience in life, God is greater than any difficulty.
- Grace. When you are overwhelmed with life matters God’s grace is available to help you. No matter how overwhelmed you become, remember that God’s grace is able to sustain you.
Gain a New Perspective
To renew your mind means to gain a different perspective. It means to gain heaven’s perspective. In Isaiah 55:8, God declares: “For my thoughts are not our thoughts nor are your ways My ways.” We all have responsibilities that create a sense of dread in us. Let’s face it, some people enjoy doing household tasks like laundry, washing dishes and the like; but many don’t. Perhaps you enjoy the work you do each day. You find your work meaningful and rewarding. Every day is a new adventure and you eagerly look forward to it. However, many people don’t share this experience. The thought of going to work fills them with dread. Rather than time seeming to pass quickly, time seems to stand still. When you are experiencing these feelings, this is a signal that your mind needs to be renewed. You need to come back to the place of freshness. This is the place where you gain God’s mind.
Mind over matter is really about having His mind over every matter. It is seeing things from God’s perspective, trusting Him, loving Him as you experience His grace. His love for you is more powerful than life matters. When life overwhelms you, find God’s promise for you in His word. This is how you receive His mind. Mind over matter is more than walking in human wisdom. it’s walking in the wisdom of God. As you trust God, you will experience His peace, strength, and joy, and you will discover focus and good success in your life. Let’s go!
Dr. Venner Alston is the author of Next Level Spiritual Warfare: Advance Strategies for Defeating the Enemy. To purchase your copy or to learn more about VJ Alston Ministries, contact https://drvjalston.org
