Elevate to the Next Level: “Transformational Thinking”
Watch on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=328O82FD4cY
Our minds are an extraordinary creation of God. They process billions of bits of information and recall 800 memories per second. No computer can match the mind’s processing power. And what’s even more amazing is that we only use a small part of it.
Now, the Bible says, “As a person thinks in his or her heart, that is who they are.” (Proverbs 23:7 paraphrase)
Our thoughts shape who we are more than anything else. It’s not our background, heredity, or environment. Instead, it’s what we choose to think about that has the biggest impact on our lives.
So, if we want to truly change something in our lives, we need to start by changing the way we think.
The Apostle Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
One of the biggest problems with thinking clearly and transformatively is our perspective on what we’re going through; therefore, we change our minds by changing how
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
we see things.
Paul had a good handle on this.
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
Paul knew that while he might get knocked down, he wasn’t knocked out, and that no matter how tough things got, it was nothing compared to what Jesus went through, so he was willing to endure for the sake of the gospel.
And so, here are some guidelines to help us shift our thoughts and change our thinking so that we can, in turn, endure to the end.
Thinking about God
To sum up this point, I would say it’s all about capturing every thought.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV)
Although we are born again, forgiven, and are new creations in Christ Jesus, our minds are still conditioned to live apart from God. And since we don't have delete buttons, we must be careful about what we fill our minds with.
We must continually renew our minds, which means reprogramming them. This involves replacing all the lies we've accepted as truth over the years, along with those strongholds and arguments that exalt themselves above the knowledge of God and hinder us from obeying Him, with the truth of God’s word.
Therefore, we need to be careful with what we fill our minds with.
King David said, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.” (Psalm 101:3a NKJV)
Now, besides filtering out all the bad stuff, there’s also a lot of things we don’t need to get involved in or let in.
The Apostle Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV)
In other words, while some things are not necessarily wrong, they simply aren’t necessary. Many shows and books aren’t necessarily harmful or bad, but they're just filler—things we consume that don’t strengthen our faith.
And so, we need to start taking control of our thought life and bring it into obedience to God’s word. Only then will we truly live out what we say we believe in.
Now, the next three points are about what or how we are to think about God.
Think about God’s Goodness
One of the main reasons we feel depressed and discouraged is because we constantly focus on all the negative things. Instead, we should focus on the goodness of God.
And what this tells me is that when we feel depressed, it's often because we’ve forgotten how wonderful God is.
Research shows that gratitude is one of the healthiest emotions a person can feel. Therefore, boosting our sense of thankfulness and gratefulness can improve our health.
Therefore, thinking about the goodness of God accomplishes this very thing. And it’s more than just being grateful for all that God has done; it also means clearly remembering how good God truly is.
How good is God? Well, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life with Him in heaven. That shows how good God is.
So, we need to understand that God is good and has our best interests at heart. He loves us and knows exactly what He is doing. Although many bad things happen, God remains good and can bring good out of the bad if we trust Him.
Consider Joseph. His brothers hated him and sold him to slave traders to get rid of him. The traders sold him to Potiphar in Egypt, but he was falsely accused and ended up in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Everything seemed to be going from bad to worse.
But God had a plan — a good one — because He is good. Through a series of bad events, Joseph was eventually promoted to the second-highest position in the world, where he was able to save thousands from starvation, including his family, even though they had wronged him.
Now, take a look at Joseph’s perspective on this entire sequence of events as he responds to his brothers.
“As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV)
We’ve all gone through mistreatment, rejection, and betrayal. But God is good and greater than what we have faced and are currently facing.
And so, this reveals a truth: “While we can’t control our experiences, we can choose how we think about them.” When life doesn’t make sense, start focusing on the goodness of God.
Look at what King David said, and consider this through all the stuff he had to endure.
“How great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!” (Psalm 31:19 NKJV)
And then the Apostle Paul said, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
So, the second step in shifting our focus and changing our mindset is to consider God’s goodness.
Think About God’s Greatness
Some of us feel like life isn’t going the way we want, and we worry that if we fall one more time, that’s it. But here is where we need to recognize the greatness of God, because God’s hands are strong enough to catch us every time.
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” (Psalm 147:5 NKJV)
This reveals another truth: “Stop dwelling on problems or what we can’t do, and instead focus on God’s power and what He can do.”
This was David’s way out of the mess he was in.
“Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me. Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.” (Psalm 69:14-16 NKJV)
Personally, I love what the Lord said through Jeremiah.
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 NKJV)
God specializes in the impossible. So instead of dwelling on what’s wrong, focus on God's greatness.
And the final thing that will help us shift our thoughts and change our mindset is to understand that the Lord is always there for us.
Think About God’s Nearness
God is always with us. He has never abandoned us and is continuously present. In fact, He is with us at this very moment.
The sad truth is that we often forget this during our dark days of despair when it feels like He has abandoned us. These are days filled with worry and fear, days of loneliness, illness, and financial struggles. These are days when it seems like all our joy and energy have vanished.
I love what Psalm 112 says about this.
“Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him are blessed beyond expression … When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in.” (Psalm 112:1, 4 LB)
And so, the antidote to dark days is God's light— the light of Jesus Christ that shines through the darkness of our thoughts.
So, it’s crucial for us to remember and reaffirm this truth: no matter what we face, God is with us, and we are not alone. God understands, cares, and knows.
And please understand that when we feel lost and abandoned, God is closest to us.
This is what David discovered when he was at his lowest.
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NKJV)
I've heard it said that “Knowing God is near is when we begin to lose our fear.”
Conclusion
Transformational thinking doesn’t concentrate on why something happens; instead, it considers what we can learn from it.
Let me conclude our time together with this: the greatest display of God’s goodness, greatness, and closeness is what Jesus achieved on the cross, as He sacrificed His life for us. Our problem is that this doesn’t fill our thoughts as it should.
Instead, our minds are filled with everything else, from politics to societal issues. Therefore, what will truly bring us out of this darkness is a transformation of our thinking. This begins when we start filling our minds with what Jesus did for us and recognize the goodness, greatness, and closeness of God in it and through it.
If we don’t start changing our mindset, nothing will change, and everything will stay the same. It might get better temporarily, but that won’t last. Therefore, we need to invite God to transform our thoughts.
We achieve this by immersing ourselves in God’s Word and allowing it to become a part of us.
There’s a common saying about computers: “Garbage in, garbage out.” When we begin feeding our minds with the trash of this world, it directly impacts our hearts, which then shows itself through our words, revealing our true thoughts.
But the same is true when we put God’s word into our minds. It then enters our hearts and naturally comes out of our mouths to bless many, revealing the true nature of our hope and belief.
