Change Requires New Thinking

“Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT).

The battle to change your life begins in your mind. If you want to change your behavior, you must start with your thoughts and attitudes.

The renewal of your mind is related to the word “repentance.” Repentance is a negative word for some people. They think of a guy on a street corner, holding a sign—“Repent! The world’s about to end.”

Repentance is a good thing. It does not begin with your actions. It begins with learning to think differently. “Repent” simply means to make a mental U-turn. It’s something that starts with your mind, not with your behavior. Changing the way you think will change the way you act.

This means turning from guilt to forgiveness, from purposelessness to purpose, from no hope to new hope, from frustration to freedom, from darkness to light, from hell to heaven, from hatred to love.

Repentance also changes the way you think about God. He’s not mad at you; he’s mad about you! It changes the way you think about yourself, your spouse, your kids, your loved ones, and how you think about your past, present, and future.

Renewal is powered by the Holy Spirit. In other words, God is actively working to help you change the way you think, so that you will become more like Jesus.