A Life Transformed By The Renewing Of Our Minds

(Rom 12:2 & Philippians 4:8-9)

We give thanks to God for our recent National Day. The celebration was filled with much energy and colour, showing the progress of our nation despite the challenges we face in the world.

As we move forward as a prosperous nation economically, may we also continue to grow in our hearts toward God, the things of God, and each other.

The key to growing in Christ and having our lives transformed by Him is to renew our minds. Apostle Paul says in Rom 12:2, “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.”

What does it mean to renew our minds? It means to change the way we think. We need to focus our thoughts on God and His Word, and we need to replace negative thoughts with positive ones — a God-centred perspective. When we do this, our behaviour will change, and we will become more like Christ.

The Bible gives us some specific instructions on how to renew our minds. In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to think about things that are true, noble & right, pure, lovely & admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. These are qualities that are found in Christ.

Whatever is true

Dr. Walter Cavert conducted a survey on worry and found that only 8% of the things people worry about are legitimate matters of concern. The other 92% were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which the people had no control.

The Bible teaches us that Satan is the liar (John 8:44) and that he wants to corrupt our minds with his lies (2 Corinthians 11:3). The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, controls our minds through truth (John 17:17; 1 John 5:6). When we believe a lie, Satan takes over.

We can protect ourselves from Satan’s lies by meditating on God’s Word, praying for discernment, surrounding ourselves with positive people, and challenging negative thoughts.

Whatever is noble and right

Noble means “worthy of respect and honour.” Right means “just and fair.” Christians should think about things that are noble and right, and avoid things that are not. This does not mean we should ignore reality or pretend that bad things don’t exist. But it does mean that we should not focus our attention on dishonourable things or allow them to control our thoughts.

Some examples of things that are noble and right: Love for God and others, peacemaking, forgiveness, helping those in need, standing up for what is right, speaking the truth in love.

Some examples of things that are not noble and right: Hatred, violence, lying, stealing, cheating, taking advantage of others.

Whatever is pure, lovely and admirable

The world is constantly bombarding us with images and messages that promote impurity. We see it on TV, in magazines, and on social media. It can be difficult to resist these temptations, but it is important to remember that God calls us to think on things that are pure, lovely, and admirable.

• Pure means morally clean and undefiled. This includes thoughts, words, and actions.
• Lovely means beautiful and attractive. This includes things that are aesthetically pleasing, as well as things that are morally good.
• Admirable means worthy of respect. This includes things that are noble, courageous, and selfless.

It is not always easy to think about pure, lovely, and admirable things, especially when we are surrounded by impurity. But it is important to remember that our thoughts have a powerful impact on our lives. When we fill our minds with good things, we will become more like God and we will make the world a better place.

Whatever is excellent or praiseworthy

There are many things that are excellent or praiseworthy in the world. Here are a few examples:

• Love is the greatest thing in the world. It is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional.
• Kindness is the act of doing something nice for someone else, without expecting anything in return.
• Courage is the strength to do what is right, even when it is difficult.
• Honesty is the quality of being truthful and trustworthy.
• Forgiveness is the act of letting go of anger and resentment.
• Peace is a state of tranquillity and harmony.
• Hope is the belief that things will get better.
• Gratitude is the appreciation for the good things in our lives.
• Service is the act of helping others without expecting anything in return.

When we focus our thoughts on things that are excellent or praiseworthy, we are not only making ourselves happier, but we are also making the world a better place.

Conclusion

After his exhortation on right thinking (Philippians 4:8), Paul asks his listeners to put it into practice: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)

In addition to right thinking, we also need to have right living. The peace of God is one test of whether we are in the will of God. When we live righteously, we experience the peace of God. But if we are living in sin, we will lose that peace.

Right thinking and right living are the conditions for having a secure mind and victory in life. When we have these two things, we are set on a Godly path and we can experience the peace of God.