Renewing Your Mind

Let’s face it: You and I live in a world that seems to be unraveling at the seams, where our minds are constantly under siege. Whether it’s through the flicker of the TV, the buzz of the radio, the flash of a billboard, or the endless scroll of a website, we’re bombarded with messages that twist and distort the truth.

If we don’t make a conscious effort every day to renew our minds, it won’t be long before we start believing things that are completely out of line with the Word of God. Does a woman have to be skinny and look like a model to be beautiful or valuable? Is a man’s worth really tied to his paycheck, his 401(k), or the car he drives? Are looks, money, and youth really what matter most in life?

The world tells us these lies, and they can do a lot of damage if we let them take root. But remember, our worth isn’t found in what the world says about us; it’s found in the One who made us and loves us beyond anything we can imagine.

Who’s Telling the Truth?

I’ve found that one of the most important steps in renewing our minds is to be mindful of who and what we listen to. Remember that old TV show To Tell the Truth? Three contestants would try to fool a panel of experts about their true identity. Two out of the three were lying, and it wasn’t always easy to tell who was being honest.

As Christians, the first step in renewing our minds is recognizing the truth found in God’s Word. In a world full of deception and falsehood, the Bible stands as our reliable guide, showing us the difference between right and wrong, truth and lies. It’s our compass, always pointing true north, helping us stay on course in a world that often feels confusing and chaotic.

Do you want wisdom to navigate the choppy waters of life? Psalm 19:7 offers this promise: “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (NKJV). When Jesus prayed to the Father, He said of Scripture, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17 NKJV). And throughout Psalm 119 (NKJV), we’re reminded of the incredible power of God’s Word:

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in Heaven” (v. 89). “The entirety of Your word is truth” (v. 160). “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (v. 165).

I firmly believe that when we anchor our minds in the truth of Scripture, we’re able to stand firm, no matter how stormy life gets.

From Black and White to Gray

Sadly, though, many professing Christians—particularly those in their teens and twenties—don’t believe in the concepts of absolute truth and the infallibility of the Bible. One recent poll even suggests that only a third of Christians base their ethical and moral decisions on the Word of God.

What will become of our culture if even the believers don’t truly believe? We need confidence in the accuracy of the Bible, so we can boldly live it and proclaim it to others. Without this solid rock to tread upon, our path will always be paved with quicksand.

If your life feels shaky and unsettled today, I want you to be encouraged by this testimony of David: “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps” (Psalm 40:2 NKJV). That’s what God wants to do for YOU as well!

Program Your Own Play List!

I believe each of us needs to reprogram some aspects of our thinking. The society around us no longer is very supportive of a biblical mindset, so our responsibility to cultivate the mind of Christ is more difficult than ever before.

Many years ago, restaurants and soda shops had old-time jukeboxes. Remember those? Often the jukeboxes contained out-of-date songs that no one wanted to listen to anymore. And the customers were totally at the mercy of the jukebox owner as to which songs would be included on the play list.

Well, today we live in a music app generation when those who have iPhones or Androids can program their own playlists. We can listen to exactly the songs we want, and we can delete any songs that we don’t want. No longer must we purchase an entire album just to listen to one song we like. Nor do we have to put our quarters in dusty old jukeboxes that have songs from a bygone era.

The point is we can now choose our song selection. What a great picture of the choice we have each day to determine what programming is downloaded into our minds and hearts! We can renew our minds as God has new things for us to download each day, and He points to other things that need to be deleted.

But where are we to get the new programming that we must download? It comes from God’s Word and His Spirit. Each day, the Lord wants us to connect with Him in an intimate way. As we read the Bible and pray, He wants to download His heart … His wisdom … and His guidance.

It’s Time to Push Delete!

Sometimes we download things that aren’t from God. The messages of our surrounding culture become copied to our playlists—our hearts—and need to be erased.

Have you ever unintentionally downloaded a computer virus? It’s easy to do. While people don’t typically do it deliberately, many are tricked by appealing messages from spam artists, creating a huge mess for their computers!

Just like me, you’ve probably had some negative downloads into your heart at times. We all have. Whether intentional or not, the devil’s songs have been programmed into your thinking. The good news is that God wants to point out these destructive viruses as we spend time in His presence and in His Word. Once we recognize the virus, it’s time to immediately push the delete button.

In a negative, sinful world, it’s easy to soak up a lot of harmful messages. It takes a conscious effort to reprogram our fallen minds. That’s why Paul writes:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things…and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8–9 ESV).

If we want “the God of peace” to be with us, we need to quit listening to the enemy’s playlist! We need to set our minds on the Lord and His Kingdom, asking Him to renew our minds daily.

What messages have you been listening to? Whether those messages come from the media or your mother, it’s time to let the Lord renew your mind and set your heart back on Him.

Your partner to reach the lost,