And be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4:23)
What is the spirit of your mind? It can be understood generally as your approach to life, but specifically it involves what you think about God, what you think about yourself, and how you evaluate the circumstances of life.
Our thoughts about God are a powerful force for good or bad in our lives. Those who believe that God is in control of all things, that life is predestined or that God puts us through hardship, sickness and suffering for His divine purpose are thinking incredibly damaging thoughts. Until we renew our thoughts about the true nature of God, we will continue to live passive lives of resignation and loss.
Our thoughts about ourselves are equally important. Believing the lies of society or religion can steal your confidence and make you a slave of self hatred and guilt. We must get a revelation of who we are in Christ. We are more than conquerors, ambassadors, able to do all things through Him, created with a divine purpose, endued with power and gifts, equipped with the mind of Christ, a recreated spirit and the incorruptible seed of the Word within! We are not failures waiting to happen! We are accepted in the beloved! (Eph. 1:6)
The circumstances of life can be approached from a place of victory and a guilt free conscience, or they can be seen with dread, fear and the lingering idea that God is punishing you. Such thoughts reveal a mind that has not been renewed.
Renewing the spirit of the mind is a process. It requires a quality decision to only believe what the Word says about us, about the revelation of God through Jesus, and about our authority over circumstances.
“Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)
Lively Hope 