Even after God liberated them from slavery in Egypt, the Hebrew people struggled to trust Him completely. No matter how many times God came through for them, they kept falling for the same two lies.
Lie #1: “We can believe in God and still be in control of our lives.”
Lie #2: “We can worship God and be just like everybody else.”
These are bald-faced lies straight from the Devil himself; nevertheless, God’s people repeatedly took the bait in the Old Testament.
What’s really scary is how we tell ourselves those same lies. Christians know that we’re supposed to surrender everything to God, but how many of us have actually done it? We prefer the partial surrender plan, especially when it comes to our time and money. Most of us say to Jesus, “I know you asked me to follow you 24/7, but right now all I have open is an hour and a half on Sunday morning.”
We know it’s not right. We know we need to change. But there’s something holding us back. In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul expressed the same conundrum:
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do…Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:15-25)
Do you ever feel like what you really believe in your heart isn’t congruent with how you’re living? This happens to me all the time. I know that God created me, and I believe that I should honor God by being as healthy and fit as I can possibly be. I believe that one hundred percent, but do I eat and exercise like I believe it?
Not even close.
It’s not for lack of trying. Our pantry at home is stacked with evidence from all the times I’ve committed to eating healthier. Like that jar of pine nuts that I once bought as a replacement for my unhealthy snacks. There’s a once-opened bag of Veggie Straws that were supposed to replace my potato chips. If you ever run out of Stevia, just come over – I’ve got plenty.
Our hallway closet is also stocked with evidence of all the times I committed to exercising more. I think there are some running shoes in there that I intend to use one day. There is a complete set of resistance bands I once purchased at Academy Sports with the intention of getting into shape. I’ve had gym memberships, I’ve joined basketball leagues, and I’ve taken several 30-day challenges. Do you think any of it has worked? Of course not.
Wretched man that I am!
Have you ever experienced this same kind of incongruence? You believe you should be living one way, but you’re not actually living that way. Maybe you keep trying, and you keep failing. Maybe you’re like me and you’ve tried to eat better and exercise more. Or maybe you’ve tried to build better relationships, squash secret addictions, or rein in your out-of-control spending. But no matter how many times you’ve tried to become a new person, you keep reverting back to who you used to be.
How can we ever turn the corner? Later in the same letter to the Romans, Paul gives us a clue.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God… (Romans 12:1-2)
By shining a spotlight on the importance of renewing our minds, Paul is saying that if you THINK the way you used to THINK, you’re going to DO the thing you used to DO. In other words, the reason we keep making the same mistakes is because we keep thinking the same thoughts.
The hard part about renewing your mind is that it’s not a quick fix. Mind-renewal takes time. Over the years I’ve watched new believers get really discouraged after deciding to follow Jesus because they thought getting baptized and going to church would lead to immediate, extraordinary results. But after the emotional high wore off, they were right back where they started.
Real transformation takes time, commitment, and discipline. It takes surrendering to God even after the emotions wear off. That’s what the Church is for: we are here to help sustain one another through the transformation process. Church isn’t for perfect people; Jesus came for messed up people who are tired of making the same mistakes.
There are three things we all need to remember as we’re trying (and often failing) to live what we believe.
First, God created you for glory. One of the most heartbreaking effects of making repeated mistakes is that, after so much failure, you can start to believe you’re not worthy of God’s love. It’s so easy to start thinking that you matter less to God now than you mattered before making those mistakes. The Bible couldn’t be clearer that you were created in God’s image and that you are part of the crowning achievement of God’s creation.
When you’re all alone, and you see yourself in the mirror, do you see God’s crowning achievement? Probably not, right? You probably see your flaws, or a few extra pounds, or stretch marks, or flab where your muscles used to be! Our tendency to see our flaws first is further evidence it’s time to let God renew our minds.
Second, God uses failure to bring victory. In Romans 8:28, Paul said that God works in every situation – every time you’re suffering, every time you’ve messed up, every time you’re in a tough spot – God works to bring victory out of that failure. Don’t let the mistakes and the shame of your past hold you back; God already has a plan to turn your past failures into His victory.
Third, “doing different” starts with “thinking different”. It’s not enough to just believe the right things; transformation begins when we learn to think the right way. Over time, the Holy Spirit can help you to actually rewire the circuitry of your brain. One day, the women whose bodies you once objectified and used can become like sisters and daughters to you. The money you once kept all to yourself can become a resource to help others. The stretch marks you once hated to see in the mirror can become trophies of the miracle called motherhood.
When the Spirit renews your mind, you’ll find it much more difficult to waste time with sports or video games or self-loathing or overspending on things that don’t matter, because the first thing you will realize when God renews your mind is that how you live this life matters. Your life matters.
So it’s time to do something different.
It’s time to think differently.
I pray that you will surrender your mind – your every thought – to the Holy Spirit, inviting Him to transform you until your beliefs and your actions align.
