Prov. 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
Are you like most people? Do you make plans to change for the better only to fall flat on your face again and again? At the start of every new year, countless people make resolutions that only last a couple of weeks, if that. Why is it so hard to change? Why is it that Christians struggle with the same issues as the rest of the world? Aren't we supposed to be saved? If you've asked yourself these questions, the answer is right between your ears.
You are a three-part being. You are an eternal spirit. You have a soul (mind, will and emotions). You live in a body. When you accepted Christ, you died spiritually to sin and became alive again through Christ Jesus. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:11). Now your spirit is one with God. You probably don't feel any different, but that's because spiritual things can't be discerned through physical means. You still have the same body and mind. You must renew your mind to God's way of thinking if you intend to live life to the fullest, the way God intended. 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 (Rom. 12:2).
The Bible is very clear, the way to true and lasting change is through a new mindset. God's knowledge is the only knowledge that will make you truly prosperous on all levels of life. Man's philosophy is vain. That's why so many addicts fall back into addiction. They are taught to continuously confess and see themselves as addicts. That's the best rehab man's knowledge can provide. Keep seeing it and saying it and you will become it. It's a spiritual law, there is no way around it. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you always broke? Can't hold relationships together? Do you always sabotage your own efforts? You need a new mindset.
In war, it's easier to defend a hill or some type of fortification than it is to take one. That's because the defenders are fighting from a position of strength. The attackers are usually more vulnerable. In Christ, we fight from a position of victory and strength. Satan is the one on the outside trying to get in. You're the king of the hill and he is trying to knock you off. Jesus has already defeated Satan and handed you the victory. You are not waiting on God to heal you, you are already healed (Isah. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24). You are not impoverished and begging for a crumb. Jesus became poor so that you might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). He promised to supply all your needs (Phil. 4:19). It's a subtle difference in your point-of-view, but one that makes all the difference.
So many people have a victim mentality. They blame their problems on everything and everyone else but their own corrupt way of thinking. They see themselves as a loser in life so it becomes a self-fulflling prophecy. The world is overflowing with these types. Do you want to stand out and be different? Then make an effort to change your way of thinking and you will be among the elite. Live the way God sees you. See yourself prosperous, healthy, full of joy and peace. Expect success the way you used to expect failure.
Do you want to lose weight? See yourself the way you want to look, not how you look now. Want to get out of debt? See yourself as prosperous and begin to give. None of this works without corresponding action. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Need to break a bad habit or addiction? See yourself delivered. Call yourself delivered. Then take the steps necessary to get free. Remember, you are fighting from a fortified position of strength and victory. Don't let the enemy take your position. Your deliverance is inside you...in your spirit. God put it there when you were born-again. You just need knowledge to unlock that treasure in you. The only way you'll get it is to saturate yourself with God's Word and wisdom.
God calls things that are not as though they already exist (Rom. 4:17). If you want to change something, so should you. Don't call it like you see it, that's what the world does. Call it like you want it to be. It's not easy to say "I'm out of debt" when you are flat-broke and in debt to your eyes. However, you've got to climb that hill. No one said renewing your mind would be easy...but it's definitely worth the effort. Your life is a garden. You sow seeds in it with your thoughts, words and actions. What you are reaping is what you have sown. Begin to sow good seeds and eventually you will experience continual harvest of good things. This is God's intention for you. He didn't intend for His people to live from one last-second miracle to the next. He expects us to rise above and make His enemies His footstool (Mat. 22:44).
Get started now redefining yourself. It's never too late to change for the better. Everything counts, no matter how small or trivial the effort seems. Expect success. Happy New Year!
