(The following was originally published at www.CareyGreen.com.)
What does “mindset” mean and how can Christ-followers implement the truths of Scripture and the promises of God into their daily mindset?
First off, think of something very basic that you believe that also affects your actions day to day. It could be as basic as believing that if you turn your key in your car’s ignition, the car will start and you can drive to work. Or believing that we need to wake up early, which allows time in the morning to read the Bible and pray. Without this, many people find it harder to connect with God in a meaningful way throughout the day.
One example I often think of is my belief in my office chair. I wholeheartedly believe that my chair is going to hold me up. My belief is proven by the fact that I am sitting in the chair. Now, if I were to SAY that I believed that the chair will hold me up, but never actually SIT in the chair, then this would definitely say something about the nature of my belief – I actually don’t BELIEVE that the chair will hold me. I may speak the words, but without action backing those words up, my belief isn’t real. This reminds me of James 2:17,
“…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
You see, what we believe (or what we don’t believe, for that matter) DRASTICALLY IMPACTS the way we live. This is true in regards to cars and chairs, as much as it is true regarding the truths of God.
Consider this statement: I Am Competent.
When you hear those words, does it resonate with you? Do you naturally doubt these words?
Sometimes, life’s circumstances (losing a job, ending a relationship) can cause us to doubt our “competence”. Likewise, sometimes our past (especially how we were parented) can get in the way of us ever feeling truly “competent”. Sometimes we simply have physical limitations or even handicaps that cause us to feel “less-than-competent” in many areas of life. So, when we look at a list of these things that can get in our way, it’s understandable why we may come to the conclusion that we are simply NOT competent or capable as individuals.
BUT THIS IS WHERE BELIEF IN GOD’S PROMISES ENTERS IN!
What you choose to do with what God says will impact your mindset and the actions that you take in life. The choice is yours. You choose what you will do with the words that God says and the promises that He makes.
For example, 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us,
“…if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
So, practically speaking, if you have things in your past that have taught you to feel like you are incompetent or incapable, but you have put your faith in Christ and have decided to follow Him and His plans… THEN YOU ARE A NEW CREATION! Those old things are gone. Jesus has given you a new identity.
It begins with us admitting that God is sovereign and humbly allowing Him to take control of our lives. The Bible tells us that,
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
And that’s what we all need – grace – which allows us to become more than we are and more than we ever have been.
With this in mind, check out God’s promise in Philippians 4:13,
I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.
So, we see that, as Christians, Jesus lives in us (2 Corinthians 5:17) and wants to live through us, strengthening us (Philippians 4:13) to do the things in His plan that we never could do on our own.
This is a mindset – a belief. And we need to take this belief and apply it, practically, in our day-to-day lives. So, when we find ourselves feeling a lack of competence, then we have the choice of giving into those old beliefs that hold us back, or rest in the truths that God promises in His word.
Finally, Romans 8:37 says,
In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Notice the connection between these last two verses (Romans 8:37 and Philippians 4:13). It’s all done through Christ. It is Jesus who enables us to be more than conquerors over even such things as “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword” (Romans 8:35)
But, the hard part of the Christian life is acting upon these beliefs. Saying you believe these things is easy, but trusting these words enough to put them into action day-by-day is a whole different – and more difficult – task. Putting our choices, our reputations, or even our lives at risk and allowing God to be GOD can be easier than it sounds. But this is actually how God becomes stronger in our lives, thus making us stronger as He promised.
So, how can we translate a belief like the ones we’ve previously discussed, and practically put them into action in our lives? First off, think about the people in the Bible who struggled with this same faith/action battle. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his own (and only) son. None of us are asked to do that today. It’s an extreme step of faith. Yet, he had the faith to do it, and God came through, intervened, and developed an entire nation that exists today from his son, Isaac.
To be as faithful as even Abraham, we first must realize that WE HAVE A CHOICE. We can choose whether or not to remain hindered by the pains, disappointments and failures of our past or trust God in where He wants to strengthen and develop us. One way to overcome your past and find the boldness to choose to put your faith into action is to write down these verses (2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 4:13, and Romans 8:37) on post-it notes, and place them in locations where you will be constantly reminded of these TRUTHS that God has PROMISED (bathroom mirror, office desk, car dashboard, etc.) Give yourself constant reminders so that God’s promises are at the forefront of your mind at all times.
You see, the world will do its best to bend us toward believing in ourselves in order to overcome adversity and find success in life. But, when we look deeply in ourselves, we often find that there is ultimately very little to believe in. BUT, when we turn to God, He has grace for those of us who have failed and will strengthen and help us in our times of need.
God promises that because of your faith in Christ, the truth about you is something different than what you have naturally bought into. The truth about you is that you are, in fact, a new creation; you are more than a conqueror; and you CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens you! God, Himself, the Creator of the Universe, promises these things to you!
So, if you find yourself unable to rest soundly in these promises of God, then you have a more fundamental issue – you have an problem with your faith. Maybe you don’t believe that God is big enough or strong enough or that He cares enough. The choice is yours to either believe God and live differently or revert back to your old mindsets, which are based on a LACK of true, actionable faith.
To wrap up, here are five tips on how to choose (and what happens when you choose) to rest in God’s promises:
- KNOW THAT IT WILL BE A BATTLE. Prepare your mind and emotions for this battle every day, since acting on God’s promises goes against the grain of what the world is telling us and what our personal histories are telling us.
- ESTABLISH A ROUTINE THAT WILL HELP YOU RENEW YOUR MINDSET EVERY SINGLE DAY. Each morning, when you wake up, your mind will default back to what it has been used to – the negative connotations from your past and failures. But just like your morning routine of getting dressed and brushing your teeth, you need to insert “setting your mind on things that are true” into your morning routine. This way, your days will be fueled by true thoughts and you can act accordingly.
- FIGHT TO ACT ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD SAYS. You will inevitably encounter experiences in your day that will raise up fears and hesitations of taking on a task presented to you by God or stepping into a conversation that God has opened up for you.
- WHEN YOU STEP UP AND ACT, THAT IS WHEN YOUR FAITH COMES “ONLINE” AND YOU SEE GOD WORK! It’s through this obedience to God’s word that we find ourselves doing amazing things through God’s strength, and becoming more and more what He has planned for us!
- OVER TIME, YOUR OLD MINDSETS WILL FADE AWAY!
Don’t let yourself be fooled into believing that you can have a mindset, or beliefs, that is different than what your actions express. Complete faith (or complete mindset) is backed up by your day-to-day actions.
The key is to set up a new routine in your mornings where you will engage with God’s truths about YOU, so that you can live a full, complete, and intentional life, which is empowered by the Spirit of God; and be ready to move forward!