Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
The way you think determines the kind of person you are. Your thoughts shape your personality. How you think has everything to do with whom you are or become. There is a mindset behind every habitual behaviour. People will speak and act consistently in a particular way to express (consciously or unconsciously) their mindset. This is why you should never leave your mind unattended. Though thoughts may be abstract in nature, never let that deceive you, for thoughts are the fundamental essence of concrete reality. Everything begins with a thought.
What goes on in your thought life largely influences what goes on around you. David defeated Goliath because he was mindful of his identity as a soldier in God’s army. Humanly speaking, David was no match for Goliath. Goliath was a giant in stature, skill and combat experience, but David did not let these facts occupy his mind. Rather, he set his mind on his superiority to Goliath as a soldier in the Lord’s army. Your mentality defines your reality, therefore, guard your mind jealously.
Nonetheless, only God can transform you into a new person, and He is both able and willing to do it. This is why after stating that He has plans for us, He says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:12-13). Note how many times the personal pronoun “Me” has been used in reference to God in the scriptural text above. God intends to emphasize the centrality of His role in your transformation as a person. You just cannot become what God has planned for you to be, without your wholeheartedly acknowledging and embracing His active participation in the process of your transformation.
However, God can only transform you into a new person if you let Him. God will not violate your will. He tells you what He wants to do for you, and then waits for you to seek Him to do it, as the following scriptural texts indicate: “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:12-13). “I will also let the house of Israel inquire of Me to do this for them…” (Ez 36:37). God made the above statement towards the end of a chapter in the Bible full of promises. You indicate your interest in what He has for you by seeking Him earnestly for it. This is an indispensable aspect of how you let Him transform you. Therefore ASK God to transform you into a new person.
God will answer your prayer for transformation by changing the way you think. The Bible says, “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed” (Prov 16:3 AMP). As you seek God earnestly, He will, in turn, influence your thoughts to align with His will for you. No wonder the Psalmist prayed, “Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle” (Ps 43:3). However, remember that God’s light and His Truth, as indicated above, are not to entertain or inflate your ego, but to LEAD you into conforming experientially to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Shalom.
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