In ministry leadership, there is not a week that goes by without having some type of difficult conversation.
Some days you just get mentally weary and emotionally drained.
You say to yourself, “Here we go again!” So you compose yourself, gather your thoughts and try your best to speak the truth in love.
Honestly, some days I am not in the right mindset. I am physically exhausted, emotionally frazzled, mentally cluttered, and spiritually unfocused.
I was sitting in my office the other day having one of those moments.
You know, making a list of the 15 other jobs I could be doing besides this one. Feeling sorry for myself, dreaming of other opportunities instead of focusing on the responsibilities right in front of me.
When we are in those moments, we reveal our desperate need for a renewed mind.
God says when our minds are renewed, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
A renewed mind changes our perspective.
A renewed mind is the ability to see God, the world around you, your circumstances, and yourself from God’s viewpoint.
When we put in the work to renew our minds, we experience the reward of God’s perspective.
Here are eight rewards of a renewed mind.
Eight Rewards of a Renewed Mind
1. A Renewed Mind Sees God and His Will as Holy (Romans 12:2)
When my mind is renewed, I see God as He is, not how I wish He could be. I see the perfection of His plan and accept the reality of it.
2. A Renewed Mind Sees People as Possibilities (I Samuel 16:7)
A renewed mind sees people from God’s perspective. It does not judge their potential from the standards of our culture but by God’s standards.
3. A Renewed Mind Sees Enemies as Victims (Matthew 5:44)
It is only through a spiritual mind that we can see our worst enemies through the lens of compassion.
4. A Renewed Mind Sees Problems as Opportunities (James 1:2-4)
When my mind is renewed, I can find joy in the midst of the trials and temptations because they produce something inside of me that could not be produced without them - maturity.
5. A Renewed Mind Sees Pain as Stretching Points (Romans 5:3-5)
A spiritually renewed mind sees the pain we experience from a different vantage point. It reminds us that this physical world is not our home and our hope is not in the comfort we experience but in the God who saved us.
6. A Renewed Mind Sees Failure as Life Lessons (Psalm 51:13)
It was through a renewed mind that King David saw his personal failures as forgiven and learned life lessons to teach others who desired to follow God.
7. A Renewed Mind Sees Life as Precious Moments (Psalm 39:4-5)
When my mind is renewed I see life as temporary and fleeting, driving me to treasure every moment and make the most of every opportunity.
8. A Renewed Mind Sees Yourself as God Sees You. (Romans 12:3)
The spiritually minded views oneself from a sober perspective, not too lowly (self-effacing), and not too highly (self-congratulatory), but just right -- a vessel of God’s grace.
A renewed mind is a strong mind.
Sports psychologists use the term ‘mental toughness’ to explain the edge some athletes have over others.
Vince Lombardi referred to the qualities of mental toughness as “sacrifice and self-denial.”
Knowing he was being an avid bible reader, I have to wonder if he got this from Romans 12:1-2!
Which reward of a renewed mind is missing in your life?
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3 Essentials for Daily Renewal
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