Renew your mind

Let me give you some very practical advice about renewing your mind and transforming your life. I once had a t-shirt which read ‘No pain – No gain.’ There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth or maturity. There is no easy route to renewing a mind and transforming a life – in fact it is a painful path and it is a lifelong path. So here is my advice, gained from Scripture and from my own walk with God.First – you must consciously surrender your life to Christ, each day. Consciously commit your life to Him each morning. Even say it out loud ‘Today, I am going to live for you Lord Jesus Christ.’Secondly – daily prayer and Bible reading is essential if you want to renew your mind, to know the will of God and be transformed. That requires discipline of time and it requires determination because all sorts of things will demand your time. Make it a priority each day to spend time in God’s Word and in God’s presence in prayer. Get Bible reading notes. Thirdly – be in a relationship with at least one other person for spiritual growth. Find someone you can trust, someone you can relate to and invite them to hold you to daily bible reading and prayer. Jesus never sent His disciples out on their own – it was always two by two. When Thomas went off on his own he had to wait another week to see the risen Christ, and he was rebuked for his unbelief. Finally – feed your mind with the things that are wholesome. That means discipline over what you watch, what you read, what you listen to in the media and also what you say. Let us be honest here – many of you as parents are more protective of what your children view than you are of your own minds and hearts – and yet you are then making decisions, eternal decisions, for yourself and your families. Waken up here. If you fill your mind with the things of this world you will conform to this world and fit into it without a whimper. Let me finish with a promise from God’s Word – read Isaiah 26.3 – that is God’s promise to you concerning the renewing of your mind and the transformation of your life.