(The following was originally published at www.CareyGreen.com.)
A mindset is based on your beliefs: what you believe about the world, about yourself, and about other people, and even about God. It’s about truth.
Are you believing what is real and true, from God’s perspective? Because we often say that we believe in certain things and we have faith in God’s promises; but, when the stresses of life come at us, and our emotions get involved, we get dragged down and even begin to doubt these very promises and truths.
You see, mindset practices are vital for Christian living, yet Christians tend to be really bad at them.
What do I mean by “mindset practices?”
It’s the practice of setting your mind in the right place (on truth… about God, yourself, the world) – and keeping it there.
It’s the difference between having a “said” faith as opposed to a “real” faith.
We can “say” we are a new creation in Christ all we want. But until we actually BELIEVE it and SHOW that we believe it by our actions, we’ll never really believe it.
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:17)
Image: Eric Grenier
In other words, if you say you have faith in something, but you’re not out there, visibly living it out, then your faith is dead. You’ve got to put feet to your faith and put the things you say into motion. It’s through your action that your faith comes alive.
One example stems from 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!
I often hear people talk about how this verse and claim to be a new creation in Christ. And that’s great that they know that! But, if you truly are a new creation, what does that really mean, in a practical sense? How does a new creation in Christ think? Speak? Act?
It all boils down to the question: What do good mindset practices (and thus a new creation in Christ) look like?
They look like this:
DAILY commitment to aligning your thinking with what God says is true.
REGULAR revisiting of those truths throughout the day.
GUTTING IT OUT when emotions, or circumstances, or people’s comments, or opposition tell you that the truth you’re focusing on is not true.
KILLING DOUBT by speaking the truth to yourself instead of listening to the doubts that crop up in your mind… and acting on that truth!
FIGHTING to think, speak, act, according to the truth you’ve committed to believe.
Image: ccsouthbay.org
Our job, each day is to take a truth like 2 Corinthians 5:17, take a hold of it and believe it as truth, and practically think through what this means in your daily life. How will you treat others? How will you speak to others? How will you treat your spouse and children? Your co-workers?
You can’t chew on this in the morning and then forget about it throughout the day. You need to actively live out your mindset every minute of each and every day. And do this in regards to all of God’s truths, as you learn more about Him and grow closer to Him!
