Biblical Life Changing Habits
Hello everyone! Let’s get our lives started in the right direction as we look at more Biblical Habits that can change your life.
Last time we looked at Putting God First:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV)
Today we will look at the most important habit for every follower of Jesus to master, renewing your mind.
Habit — Renewing Your Mind
“And 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)
The Greek word translated “transformed” is the word “metamorphoó”. We get our English word metamorphosis from this, which is defined as a change in the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means. We are taught this early in life when we saw how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. The Word is showing us that we can literally change everything about us! This is why this truth is so valuable for every believer.
Let me take Romans 12:2 and define it according to how the Greek language revealed it to the churches in Rome. This is how we need to see it.
“And do not be conformed…” (conformed is the Greek word that means to “to fashion oneself, to be fashioned.”) This is a picture of clay being formed into something.
“…to this world,” (world not meaning the earth but an age or era-a period of time) This is showing us that the time periods we live in i.e. the 60’ 70’s 80’s 90’s, etc. all have specific ways of forming people into its ideology. This is so very clear in life!
“ but be transformed…” (This is a Greek compound word for “meta” which means, “to change” and “morphao” which means “shape”.) Put those two Greek words together and the Bible tell us that we literally can change our lives to something totally different from our past-a way better version of ourselves! How wonderful is that?
“…by the renewing of our mind,” (The Greek word for renewing is anakainosis which is a compound word for “ana” back or again and kainos “new,” not recent but different) What this shows us is that when we put God’s Word into the mind through a meditation process (not just a thought, but a thought that is meditated on) we will then begin the metamorphosis process-a true life change!
“ that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The word “prove” means to discern, examine, test, prove with the attitude of expectation. The word was used to define the testing of certain metals to “prove” their true composition.
Ok, let’s read this all together in my amplified version of Romans 12:2: “Do not allow your life to be shaped by the age you live in to fulfill its desires, needs and wants, but be completely changed from the inside out to a person that resembles a child of God more than a child of this world. We do this by allowing God’s Word to take priority in our thought life, meditating on and seeing it’s Truth in and through us, so that we can know for sure through examination and discernment that His Word will shows us God’s exact will for our lives in how we should live it!”
WOW, that changes my whole attitude concerning life! I’m in charge of my life!
I had a friend on our high school football team that got amnesia from a big hit on his head. He didn’t know who he was for almost a week! When I was with him, he acted completely different from the person I had known for years. Why? Because his memories were forgotten! Amnesia patients do not act the same because they don’t have their memories. They have the same everything: brain, body, etc, but they don’t act the same. Until their memories come back, they will act very different.
The renewing the mind process looks the same way (except we don’t need to be hit in the head!) The renewing the mind process is actually a renovation. We have the same body and brain; we are just changing the broken areas of thoughts. Like a building remodel, we are fixing the plumbing & electrical, changing internal walls, adding new appliances, fixtures, etc. A renovated building looks different than it first looked because it is restored to another form, and may function at another capacity. It brings new life to something that was old!
As a Pastor, I have worked with thousands of people over the past 35 years of ministry. I understand that people are often very hesitant about change.
Let me show you 4 hindrances to change:
1. Change is wanted, but most of the time rejected.
Every one of us brings good and not so good things into adulthood. We carry this “baggage” with us, i.e: low self-esteem, fear, anger, control, perfectionism, pride, abuse, a need to please, etc. This baggage causes you to think, feel, and behave based on who you were as a child rather than the very different person you are now as an adult. Because of the ugly baggage that is being carried, many people don’t see themselves worthy of change. When a person has a low value of him/herself, they are prone to quit or even sabotage change.
2. Bad habits hinder change.
When you experience thoughts, emotions, and behavior that are driven by your past, they become negative habits that dictate how you react in life. Bad habits are ingrained in our lives, which tend to dictate thoughts of “I just can’t change.” Or, “I try and it just doesn’t seem possible.” So again, change is hindered.
3. People can hold you back from change.
When the people you surround yourself with aren’t supportive of your change, they can have a controlling effect on your desire to change. This again is tied to a bad self-image. You empower people to control you through their desires and wants. You can also surround yourself with people who are supportive of the way you are and make you feel comfortable in the life you want to change. Unfortunately, this environment reinforces who you are, even when you don’t want to be who you are, and causes you to continue down a path that interferes with your change to a better experience of life. They can either support you in staying the same, or even hinder you in becoming a better you.
4. Fear of failure.
Many people don’t change out of the fear of failure. They might think, “What if I can’t change, then I’ll be even more of a failure than I am now.” Another thought would be, “I’ve been this way for a long time, so it’s not worth the risk.” These negative emotions become substantial barriers to change by being triggered whenever you feel uncomfortable or incompetent. Therefore, people rob themselves of change because of negative thoughts.
Listen my friend, change does not happen overnight. We must be consistent in what is necessary for change. If I want to lose weight, I can’t just desire or want it. No, I must do something about it (change). I need to change eating habits. I need to start some type of exercise in my life and be consistent with it. I need to reinforce the positive vibe of weight loss by hanging around and/or listening to people that will encourage me while I walk out this new journey. By being faithful and consistent with these actions, I will (and it will take some time) lose weight!
Learn from these truths. If you see that you are guilty of the things I have been talking about, don’t feel guilty! Recognize the need for change as well as God’s desire for that change. He wants the best for you and that is why we have the Scriptures to show us how to live life better. Join me next time as I share some “Change Truths” that will help you renew your mind and become transformed. Goodbye!
