How To Change Your Mind
Rom 12:1-2
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Tonight I want to preach on "How To Change Your Mind ?"
Does our mind need changing ?
I want you to notice something with me from another scripture.
Gen 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"
What was the problem ? The wickedness of man was great in the earth !
Why the problem ? Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually !
The root problem that resulted in the judgment of God was the thoughts of the heart !
Notice the words of Jesus in Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of me, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders.....
The first thing Christ focuses on in that which is within........evil thoughts.
Norman Vincent Peale once said......"Change your thoughts, and you change the world !"
Ralph Waldo Emerson “Beware of what you set your mind on because that you surely will become.”
There is alot of truth in those two quotes........
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Is it not true that we are what we think ? Chew on this......we are out thoughts ! Now don’t think too hard on that because you’ll probably get a headache !
Is it not probable that if our minds are filled with evil thoughts, then our deeds, and our words will probably be evil as well ?
And suppose our thoughts are good.......will they not be manifest into good deeds, and words ?
If I am having problems in my spiritual life, then it is because I am having problems in what and or how I’m thinking ! If there is a sin which is besetting me, then is it not because I am thinking wrong ?
Listen to the instructions of Paul to the believers in Rome.
Paul says that we are not to be conformed to the world, but we are not to be transformed ! The word "transformed" of course means "change" ! So how are we to be changed....."by the renewing of our minds". Now this is good........the word "renewing" means "renovation"
How are we to be changed.......we are changed by renovating our minds !
Henry Ford once said.....“Thinking is the hardest work in the world, which is probably why so few people engage in it.”
Now that’s a humorous quote, but it’s not true. Our problem is not that we think to much or even to little, but it’s probably what we think or how we think ! Therein lies the whole problem !
The challenge to changing our mind is changing what we process !
Have you ever heard the word "gigo" ? It is a computer term that was coined nearly a generation ago by pioneers in the field of computers. It was coined because computer data technicians discovered that if the wrong data was entered into a computer, then the raw data would be bad. In other words, they discovered that what you put into a computer is what you get out of it ! The word "gigo" means "garbage in, garbage out". If you put good data into the computer then the right answers come out, but if you put wrong data in, you get wrong answers !
Now the human mind has often been compared to a computer. And the basic principle of "gigo" is true when it comes to our mind !
Garbage In ! Garbage Out !
Someone has said.......“Two thoughts cannot occupy the mind at the same time, so the choice is ours whether or not our thoughts will be constructive or destructive.”
It is up to us to decide what we put in !
Turn to Phil 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Here Paul gives some good rules relating to what we put into our minds.....We can evaluate or take inventory of our thoughts using this verse.
1. Think on things which are positive !
2. Think on things which are pure !
3. Think on things which are praiseworthy !
If it’s not true, then don’t think about it, don’t pass it along, and don’t do it !
If it’s not honest, then it’s dishonest ! So don’t put it in your mind !
If it’s not right........now how do we as believers measure what is right ? We judge according to the standards of God ! We lay it alongside scripture ! If it’s not right in the sight of God, then it has no place being put into our mind !
If it’s not pure, clean, wholesome.......if it does not help us become pure, clean, wholesome ! Then don’t think it !
The word "lovely" literally means "love towards". If something does not produce love towards God or love towards another, then it has no place in our thoughts !
If it’s not of good report.......reputable.....let’s put it plain....if it’s unreliable, if it’s gossip, if it’s malicious, then it has no place in our minds !
If it does not bring virtue or praise, these two are closely related, then we must not imput them ! Evaluate your thoughts in this manner.......if my thoughts were open for all the world to see, would they bring praise to the Lord ?
If I read garbage, I’m putting garbage into my mind, and garbage is going to come out !
If I watch garbage, I’m putting garbage into my mind, and garbage is going to be the output !
God gave Joshua some wonderful instructions in Joshua 1:8
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shaalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success"
Want to be a properous, and successful believer ? Then meditate upon the word of God !
