by Carmen Manske

Created on: September 03, 2009   Last Updated: January 05, 2012

Just because you may be a Christian, doesn't mean that your mind is not thinking on a horizontal plane. Our nature is to think sinfully and ultimately to act sinfully. The mind is a very powerful thing. Every action, great and small, started with an idea.

Romans 12:2 states, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Even as Christians, it is quite easy to stumble into the desires and thought patterns of the world. We easily become accustomed to the world's ideas and soon we bare testimony to those thoughts through our actions.

Conforming to this world not only involves sinful actions, but sinful thoughts. A negative attitude paired with a cheerful face doesn't exactly measure up to God's standards. The definition of sin is missing the mark. Imagine a game of darts and you can never quite win. Always just short of the perfect mark. That's how it is with us. We may think we're doing a good job as Christians, but yet our thought life is missing the mark: Judgment, harboring resentment, self-pity, pride...the inventory of sinful thoughts goes on and on. Make certain that only those thoughts that are worthy of God will pass through your mind; as listed here in Philippians 4:8. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

That's why we need to watch and pray. Do not fall asleep or let your guard down. Be soberly aware of sin arising in your mind, ready to rear its ugly head through outward deeds. No longer shall you sit in the shackles and chains of sin. Release the sins listed here in Colossians 3:5, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry." Relentlessly go to God and ask Him to renew your mind in obedience to the Holy Spirit. Be in continual renewal of the mind by following God and keeping sinful thoughts or worldviews locked out of your mind through prayer and bible study. Psalm 26:2 illustrates this. "Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart." If you don't know what God's word says, then how will your thought patterns change?

Through sanctification in Jesus Christ, your mind will be renewed, turned towards the things of God, and away from the lust of the world. 2 Corinthians 3:18 reveals, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." Once you see the glory of the Lord, and His perfect and precious commandments and promises, you can never really turn away from such undeniable instructions which are so rich with love for us.

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