The Truth Has Power
‘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.’
– Romans 8:2 (NIV)
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Renewing your mind empowers you to be the one managing your mind — and it brings peace. It brings healing.
Most times I jump on the trains without ever giving any of them a second thought. I never questioned what rolled through my mind — No one will ever love you. You’re a failure. You’re damaged goods. You blew it big time.
I never asked myself: Who sent that train — God or the enemy? Where will that train take me — into God’s mind and will and purpose, or into shame — the enemy’s mind, will, and purpose?
Satan is the father of lies and the accuser of us all.
When he lies, he speaks his native tongue. That’s right, his native language is lying (John 8:44)! He doesn’t know how to speak anything but lies… and for years, I didn’t know how to do anything but believe those lies.
Wherever my mind went, all of my emotions and feelings followed uncontrollably — like a runaway train. “Not smart enough, fit enough, pretty enough, thin enough, good enough, holy enough.”
Never enough. Of anything.
Just as God had begun to heal my broken heart and bind my wounded soul, He began renewing my mind with His truth.
By attending church regularly, joining a Bible-believing assembly, and becoming a part of a community of Christ-followers, I eventually learned that not everyone thought the same way as I thought, especially God. In fact, the more I studied the Bible, the more I realized that my thoughts about myself and so many areas in my life were about indeed as far away from God’s thoughts as the heavens are from the earth.
It was life-changing for me when I realized that I should not believe all my feelings and thoughts — especially when they contradicted the Word of God, which is the absolute truth. As Jesus said:
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:31–32
Knowing the truth can profoundly impact how we process the facts of our circumstances. The Word of God states the truth that from the womb of my mother He has named my name (Isaiah 49:1).
The facts can change, but the truth has the power to change things.
This one decision and an ongoing commitment to stay on the train of thought based on truth of God’s Word has saved me years of turmoil and torment. I renewed my mind by replacing my thoughts about myself with God’s thoughts about me. I learned that I could control what thoughts I jumped on and which ones I did not. You can too.
We have to mature in choosing our thoughts. I know this is a tall order for our minds that have spent years tormented by shame — years of hearing and responding to the voice of shame making accusations against us. Years of shame-induced thinking that we were broken or a failure. That there is something wrong with us. That we always mess up. Thoughts that cause us to become perfectionists and people pleasers, or to be overly hard on ourselves. Years of fighting for our own significance.
But as always, God doesn’t leave us alone to fight such battles. He gave us His Word. He gave us the power to exchange the enemy’s lies — and everything anyone else has ever said about us — for His truth.
LET US PRAY:
Dear God, I embrace the truth in your word. Let the truth set me free from every limiting negative mindset. I am transformed as my mind is renewed daily by meditating on the word of God. It is my year of purpose and I set my mind on righteous thinking and fulfilling my God-given purpose
In Jesus’ Name. Amen
