Renewed Thinking and Soft Hearts
by Suzanne Benner
**Do you believe lies? Are you about to give up trying to live the Christian life? Life is a journey and it is best shared with others. http://thelife.com/interactive/ask.html
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22 – 24).
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).
God’s Word tells us that we will be transformed if we renew our minds, but how exactly do we change our thinking or “be made new in the attitude of our minds”?
The process begins by asking ourselves what lies we have believed. Think about worry for example – we all know that we shouldn’t worry, but just telling ourselves to stop worrying doesn’t seem to work.
Letting go of sin: Exhale sin, inhale the Holy Spirit
Needing a timeout with God?: Take our Life Lesson
Instead ask yourself “What lie do I believe that causes me to worry?”
• Do I believe that God will not provide?
• Do I believe that God won’t give me good gifts?
• Do I believe that God won’t give me what I want?
These questions guided me to a startling discovery: I don’t have a problem with worry at all – I have a problem with surrender! The realization dawned on me that I didn’t trust God to provide for me because it might not be what I would choose. That also meant that I didn’t believe that God knows better than me what I need.
After discovering the lies, replace them with the truth from the Bible:
• God will provide. (Philippians 4:19)
• God is the giver of good gifts. (James 1:17)
• I need to trust God, not myself. (Proverbs 3:5)
• I need to submit to God. (James 4:7)
In this way, renewing our minds will change our behavior.
Yet, as we saw last week, the problem is not in our minds alone, but also in our hearts. Therefore, as renewed minds must replace futile thinking, so soft hearts need to replace hardened ones.
Three times the writer of Hebrews repeats, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (3:7; 3:15; 4:7).
Why do we harden our hearts?
Daniel, in talking about King Nebuchadnezzar, tells us, “…his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride…” (Daniel 5:20).
Thus when God shows us something, we cannot push it aside thinking it’s not important or it’s too painful to deal with or He’s asking too much. We must respond to God’s nudging, humble ourselves and repent in order to keep our hearts soft.
Therefore a behavior problem is a mind problem and a mind problem is a heart problem.
~Holy God, I confess to you that I have believed lies and my actions show it. Renew my mind with truth from Your Word. As I study the Bible, help me to respond with humility and repent, that my heart would always be soft toward You.
Questions: Why is it important to change our thinking rather than just trying to change our actions? How does a renewed mind help soften your heart? How does a softened heart help renew your mind?
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/suzanne-benner/
Tags: attitude, God, renewed thinking, transformed
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Jhulez:
“Feels like I need such renewing of the mind and a sensitive heart towards His leading. I think God wants me to do something big for HIm, i know what it is already but can’t figure how to start it coz i feel like it’s beyond me.
Hoping for your prayers. Big thanks!”
FATHER< thank YOU that YOU are calling her to something special and only she can fulfill because we have individual calling to do. FATHER I pray that YOU will clearly open before her all the resources YOU had prepared for her and open the path designed for her to walk so that she can fulfill YOUR call. Give her visions and dreams LORD about that call and how she can do it well. I pray that YOU will surround her with YOUR power and love to protect her from confusion. I pray LORD that she will completely depend on YOU and will not employ her human talents to achieve it but only what’s coming from the HS so that the end product will minister to this broken world we live in.
Thank YOU LORD for the privilege of working for YOU. May she be found faithfull in executing YOUR call upon her life and experience that unspeakable joy from complete obedience to YOU I pray, in JESUS name, amen.
Quoting you Margaret:
“Dianne, thanks, it means so much to get that posting as I am having a hard at the moment. I took this devotional and applied to my grieving and I am going to take steps to grieve and not feel guilty for doing so. I talked to the Lord about my grief this morning. I am going to tell a few trusted friends I am having a rough time! The main thing is the Lord is beside and I am not alone and he cares for me!”
Yes Margaret, take your time to grieve. GOD understands the pain you feel. He is touched by all the painful emotions we go thru. HE is waiting for that time when HE can take us all in heaven where there will be no more tears, weaping, sadness and grieving. JESUS loves you so much and you are surrounded by friends who understands how you feel. Our loved ones are loan to us and in the time that HE takes them from us, HE is giving HIMSELF in place of them. He would like us to continuously talk to HIM, pour upon HIM how we feel, ask HIM what we need, thank HIM for lending to you the best mom you ever had as your best friend and ask HIM if HE can send to you someone who will be a great friend to you, and you to her/him and who can bless you as you bless her or him. HE is in-charged of our lives and nothing is impossible to HIM. I just would like to let you know that we understand how you feel and we love you my sister. (((((((Margaret)))))))
I will pray for you till you have completed your grieving.
Reading this devotion feels like god has breathed His very words.
Feels like I need such renewing of the mind and a sensitive heart towards His leading. I think God wants me to do something big for HIm, i know what it is already but can’t figure how to start it coz i feel like it’s beyond me.
Hoping for your prayers. Big thanks!
After “…only Jesus Christ will,” I should have added, “–if you want Him to.” He won’t force Himself on you.
Dianne, thanks, it means so much to get that posting as I am having a hard at the moment. I took this devotional and applied to my grieving and I am going to take steps to grieve and not feel guilty for doing so. I talked to the Lord about my grief this morning. I am going to tell a few trusted friends I am having a rough time! The main thing is the Lord is beside and I am not alone and he cares for me!
Margaret, may God soothe your heart and help you to know His love in such a way that none can compare :-}!
Lucy, I wanted to write yesterday, but I was pressed for time, and I don’t have much more today, but I want you to know that I know where you are coming from in many ways-I’ve been there.
I know about being abused, having trust issues, living in bondage to alcohol and drugs…etc. I’ve been clean and sober for 23 years now. I have been a Christian for 10. Twenty five years ago, I prayed to God for help, and He gave me a DUI, which got me into out-patient treatment and daily 12-step meetings.
I went to meetings every day (save about five–when I really couldn’t)—and whenever could, two and three a day–for the first 1 1/2 years. Then I cut down to about 5 meetings a week for many years after that. At one point (at 10 years of sobriety), I cut my meetings down to about once a month, and one year to about 4 in a year’s time.
Where this took me was to a turning-point: I was either going to drink again or I was going to commit suicide. God intervened, though and I am very grateful for that! Getting back to daily meetings (and more) for about the next few months, then backing off only a little bit, was part of acting on my surrender to Christ (this time period is when I did that), and it made the quality of my “program” (which I started over, and worked more thoroughly than before) and of my life 100′s of times better!
Now I go to 3 Twelve Step recovery meetings a week (one is Celebrate Recovery, a Christ centered 12-Step recovery program/ministry for anyone with “hurts, habits, and hang-ups” that they need recovery from [they have a website, and on it you can look up meeting locations to see if there are any in your area]); one support group meeting a week; and one small group a week, along with church.
It’s important to say that it is not just meeting attendance that “does it,” although I do believe that going to so many in the beginning of my recovery is a big part of why I am still clean and sober today! Working the Steps (which really did come from the Bible in the first place) is what matters most.
But, recovery doesn’t take place successfully in a vacuum, any more than spiritual growth happens in isolation (actually, the two are one and the same). I can kid myself all I want, but it doesn’t change that fact.
There is a quotation in one of the 12-Step recovery books, “What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.”
There IS something better than the life you had :-}! But it can’t be gotten alone. If there is a Celebrate Recovery ministry in your area (you can check their website to find out), I encourage you to attend :-}.
I also strongly encourage you to attend daily 12-Step meetings (or as close to that as possible) and read their literature, “work the Steps,” and follow their directions (“If you want what we have, do what we do.”). And get, or stay, strongly connected in the body of Christ and in Christian fellowship, too.
When you feel shaky or weak, and all else fails, find someone who is where you have been (or, if need be, anyone who needs help) and share your “experience, strength and hope” with them; just tell them the truth about what you were like, what happened, and what you are like now, and offer them the “spiritual toolkit” that works for you. Don’t force it on them, just share your story, be open to helping them find the tools for themselves, and pray for them.
And remember, when it comes to addictions, will-power has nothing to do with it. Step 1 says “we were powerless” and the power comes from none other than God. People can be “vessels” or “instruments” but they aren’t the Source of the power. So, when you feel weak, it is time to strengthen your relationship with God. Your husband, as wonderful as he may be, isn’t going to be able to keep you clean and sober, only Jesus Christ will.
Please concentrate on your direct and personal relationship with God more than anything else. It is important that you not mistake your husband for God. He may be a person who is demonstrating a Godly “walk,” but as a human being, he is only an reflection of God. He is the moon to God’s sun :-}. Nobody beats God!
So, first, we need to build up our “spiritual condition” then we need to maintain and develop it further. Concentrate on this first, and the rest will fall into place.
(12-Step recovery programs say this as “First things First,” and Jesus says it as, “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt 6:3).
I know you asked for prayer, and prayers will help, but I also strongly encourage you to get active in the recovery that God already placed in front of you by putting you in rehab in answer to your prayer.
If you already are, then please keep it up, or step it up, knowing that an alcoholic is never really cured (because of the physiological and genetic differences between alcoholics and non-alcoholics)–only put in remission through spiritual means.
I hope this helps, Lucy, and I will pray for you, too :-} .
BTW: For anyone who might be wondering, the 12-Steps are all about establishing and maintaining The Great Commandment.
They are detailed instructions for: meeting God, first; preparing ourselves to be of “maximum love and service to Him and our fellows”–which includes getting more OK with ourselves,next; for repairing our damaged relationships with others, third; and for then continuing to maintain and develop spiritual growth and maturity (which is to continue until the day we leave this earth. [if not longer?]).
They aren’t easy, but they do work–if a person wants them to and is willing to do whatever it takes for them to do that.
Since this is a Christian site, and since there are Christ-centered 12-step programs out there, I would recommend anyone interested seek one or more of those first. However, considering that there aren’t enough of them around, yet, I would also recommend that anyone interested in recovery also attend one or more of the “secular” one(s), keeping in mind that Christ is the Higher Power, and His word is the final authority. Lots of meetings a week makes a big difference, especially in the beginning
:-}.
Love you all!
FATHER, I pray that YOU will fill the position that that leaving Pastor at Lorelli’s church with a godly man who fits in the needs of everyone in the church. We might ask if it is possible to have a Pastor fitting the needs of a church. We know LORD that it is possible because YOU are the one building YOUR church and YOUR kingdom, not us. So FATHER I pray that everyone at Lorelli’s church will be at ease and have that peace waiting on YOU to do what YOU see fit. Thank YOU LORD that YOU have never lost control on anything yet and that we can surely continue to worship YOU, love YOU, serve YOU and trust YOU with all of our heart. In CHRIST name,amen.
FATHER thank YOU that YOU have raised faithful servants all over the place to serve YOU. Its YOU who put people in different places so that YOUR kingdom can go forward. FATHER, our church had also experienced with Senior Pastor leaving us because he was ill but YOU have never forgotten YOUR own flock. You had sent us Spirit-filled his place with a godly Intermitent Pastor while our Board, with the help of the National Fellowship leaders helped us to select among the applicants, a Pastor that fits our needs and YOU sent us and gave us a good one that paved the way among us so that we do not remain anymore with a specific denomination but now a nondenominational Church which happily welcome all YOUR children who have a relationship with YOU. Thank YOU LORD that YOU are in control all over the world. I pray that YOU will sorround with peace, love and grace everyone at Lorelli’s church and wish the leaving Minister going to Foreign land Godspeed!
Oh LORD our GOD, YOU are the only true and wise GOD. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of our GOD! How unsearchable are HIS judgment and HIS ways are past finding out… (Romans 11:33 KJV). I pray that YOUR will be done at Lorelli’s church. I pray all these things in JESUS name, amen.
WOW Suzanne, Sharon and Romel, I thank you all so much for caring enough about what I’m going through that you actually took time to pray for me. I have no friends because it is hard for me to trust people. I am learning to trust God and at least reach out to Christian women via the computer. It touched my heart deeply when I came back to my computer to see if anyone read what I wrote. May God richly bless all of you women, and again thank you.
Thanks Romel. Thanks Sharon for praying for me. I’ve decided to go and talk to someone about the grief that is building up in side. I am strong and I will get through it. When I lost mom I lost my best friend. I lost a woman who I knew was rooting for me and loved me a lot. I know she is doing that in heaven now! I miss mom so much!
Hi everyone, great devotional today. Loved reading the comments. Tracy God will give you the strength you need to quit. Please pray for our church as our dear beloved preacher resigned because God is calling him into the mission field and other areas. He is more than loved he is my friend, I was his secretary for three year when I took a break from my field of work. He truly is a Man that walks with God. Our church is grieving but we know God has not left us and that he will do a good work and start something new.
FATHER, thank YOU that YOU are forever working in our lives. Thank YOU for Suzanne who is YOUR servant faithfully dividing the truth. FATHER, we know that it is not an accident that we are all together here. YOU have brought us together for instruction, healing, deliverance, correction from whatever is holding us, our past and even pre-conceived ideas, lies of the enemy that we took as truth. FATHER, we all bow down before YOU emptying ourselves so YOU can fill us up again to overflowing so that YOU can use us to touch the broken world around us. FATHER, I lift to you Lucy. Thank YOU LORD for saving her. I thank YOU LORD from delivering her from the past that she cannot changed but can be forgiven and forgotten in such a way it’s not blocking her function in life. I loose from Lucy the memory of the past abuse, bad relationship and hurtful experiences from the man who supposed to have protected her. LORD, you showed in YOUR word that the only way to stop her father from continueous abuse and torture of LUCY is to forgive him and YOU will faithfully erase the slate of the past when Lucy forgives just YOU do to our sins when YOU forgave us. Thank YOU LORD for Lucy’s husband. I bind his mind to the mind of JESUS so that he will be full of love,compassion and understanding for Lucy. At the same time, I loose from lucy jealousy, anxiety about her relationship with her husband, I loose cut and sever from her the lack of trust and confidence to her husband and above all to YOU LORD. I pray LORD that LUCY will release her husband to YOU for no one is able to take care of her husband better than YOU. I bind her mind to the mind of CHRIST so that she may hear in her very thought CHRIST intentions, purposes, desires, plans and wills for her. I bind her to YOUR truth. I pray FATHER that YOU will be in the middle of their marriage so that there will be peace, grace, love, loyalty, frienship and above all trust. I pray LORD that their marriage will be founded in what YOU said in Ephesians 5:23, 33; 1 Timothy 3:2-7. FATHER, I commit all household here that everyone will go back to the principles of marriage and that the husband and wife observe to obey the rules YOU have given to each member of the family so that YOU will be glorified all over the earth.
I pray DADDY that YOU will be with Margaret and the pain she has. I loose from her the oppression of the evil one and I rebuke all diseases, infirmities, abnormalities in the cells, tissues, blood, nerve, ligaments, all neuropathies and all malignancies from all of us GOD’s children for in the strife of JESUS we are healed. I loose from Margaret the emotional pain she carries about her mother. I bind her mind to the pleasant memories of her mom that will give her joy instead of sadness. I loose from Barbara sleepless night and I’m taking it back from satan and giving it back to Barbara, to whom it belong. Satan, devils and demons in the of JESUS I bind you that I may spoil your household and take back from you all our material and spiritual possessions that you wrongfully took from us. And I loose your hands from all these things. JESUS CHRIST has given us the authority to do so (Matthew 16:19; 18:18). IN JESUS name amen.
I think that it is a good point made that we need to look at the lies that we are told and examine them for what they are and replace them with the truth. This is a process that I have learnt through counselling to replace negative and incorrect thinking which was causing panic attacks. I just never thought of transferring the same process over to my spiritual life. A LIGHT BULB MOMENT! One of those “ahh ahh” moments – what I have been putting into practice from counselling is a biblical concept. I have been renewing my mind in some areas, I just need to continue to do so in spiritual areas – replacing my negative thoughts, worry etc, with God’s truth in His Word. Thanks for the devotional!
yes we need our mind renewed in the knowleged of God and a soft heart to me is a pure heart colo 3:1,2 that is awesome verse it let us know to keep our mind stayed on him no matter how bad it may look keep our mind stayed on him
Thanks Suzanne for the encouraging devotional today. As Tracy said it was God’s perfect timing for me too. I needed to be reminded today, after a very busy week, to turn everything over (surrender) to God. With my husband working now and away from home 4 nights a week I was beginning to stress about so many things. The verses you used brought me back to that place of submission and it was good to think about how I would respond to these truths sent today by God through you:
• God will provide. (Philippians 4:19)
• God is the giver of good gifts. (James 1:17)
• I need to trust God, not myself. (Proverbs 3:5)
• I need to submit to God. (James 4:7)
Hi girls, I think of you all everyday and pray for all the requests and am so encouraged by all your comments. I pray you will all have a lovely day as we keep our focus on the perfector of our faith, Jesus Christ the Lord. Loving you all from far away….
lucy b i will be praying for you
sharon b
margart
i will be praying for you as i know how it is to lose your mom. my mom died in 1990 an i stillmiss her a lot also i just heard from my sister in law and her mother just passed yesterday. but i will have you in my prayers and know The Lord will help you through this sad dat
sharon b
We will pray for you Lucy.
~God, we cry out to you on behalf of Lucy. Thank you for choosing her as Your daughter. Thank you for saving her from an abusive past, as well as from drugs and alcohol. God, help her to believe the truth. May every doubt, jealous thought or lack of trust chase her into Your Word. Help her to keep reading until she has a truth that will replace the lie that she has believed. May she find peace and security in You. Thank you for her godly husband. Show him how to love Lucy with Your unconditional love. Bring godly women into Lucy’s life who will help to disciple her and mentor her. Demonstrate Your love, faithfulness, mercy and compassion to Lucy through a body of believers who will live out the truth before her. Amen.
I really enjoyed and needed to hear todays devotion. I thank you. I have been saved since 3-14-07. I need to learn to FULLY surender my past to God, because of my father molesting me from ages 3-13, and every relationship I have been in before I was saved has been abusive, I am constantly going through trust issues. I WANT SO BAD to believe that God will never leave me or forsake me, and just allow God to be God. I fear that if I do not, I will lose my husband who is a devoted godly man. He is in the Word daily, and has never abused me. Since we married on 5-25-07 he has been so good to me, and he teaches me the Bible. My life has changed. Except for my insecurities, jealousy, and trust issues. I cried out to God just a few minutes ago because when I gave my husband a ride to work and I saw one of his female co-workers, I became jealous. I hate that about myself. I cried out to God “please renew my mind and teach me who I am in You Lord, for I don’t love myself at all Lord. Please help me to believe that I am wonderfully made”. After reading the devotion, I felt compelled to write and ask you ladies to please pray for me, because I don’t want to end up where God found me before I asked Him into my life. For this past year has been a healing process for me. I was numbing my pain for 25 years with drugs and alcohol, I knew deep in my heart that I was going to die, and there had to be something better than the life I had. That day on 3-14-07, I cried out to God. He sent me to a rehab. I have been sober “in Christ Jesus” since then. But I feel so weak lately. PLEASE keep me in prayer
It’s good to know I’m not alone ;-}!
Wow! Tons here! This is so me that I can hardly believe it! I’ve gotta digest it some more.
I forwarded the devo along to almost everyone in my address book. Thank you!
Praise God Jeannie, What an awesome encouragement you have been. It does take a daily commitment to have a right heart and to practice the truth!
Proverbs 23:7 For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.
Jesus compares our hearts to a fruit tree in Matthew 12, showing us that our hearts ultimately control our words and actions, as well as behaviors. You must have a change of heart if you are to change your life. Many hearts need healing. All of us have had hurts in our pasts and no one is immune from broken heartedness that occurs. This means there are issues from the past that need to be addressed, and released, so you can receive the healing that God has promised.
(Hosea 4:6) I believe it is possible for us to have a right heart for God and yet to have things all wrong in our heads. Our lives can be destroyed because of ignorance. Without a knowledge of the truth, we cannot be free (John 8:32). We are bombarded with thoughts every day that can lead us astray. Our minds need to be renewed daily by the Word of God. We must meditate on key scriptures, apply the boold of Christ over our memories and obey the Word.
Oh my gosh this was an amazing reading perfect timing God. Now just need to pluck up courage to quit job ( have been of since Nov 1st with stress) Pease pray that God has right job for me ASAP we need the £600 a month I earn.
Suzanne B.
Your devotional is special and timely, thank you and I hope that we will really take it in in our hearts real hard because it is the truth. Last night, I cannot sleep and I was thinking we supposed to be a new creation in CHRIST JESUS when we accept HIM as our LORD and SAVIOR. BUT SO many are hanging on to the past that I had a question in my mind. “Are we considered ‘Born-again’ when we do that? How precious is our past that we cannot let it go and go forward in our journey in CHRIST?”
I was mad at Satan and his lies but I think we also do not know our GOD well when we do that. Many of the problems we have is our lack of surrender to GOD. Many asked me if I have problems with pain. I do but I do not dwell there. I ignored it. I take medications for it while praying for healing. Medications have many side effects so I prayed 1Timothy 4:4-5 and Mark 16:17-18 on everything that touch or enter my body. 2Peter 1:3-4 says HE has given us everything we need for life and godliness so that we can participate in HIS divine nature and escape the corruption of this world. Do I have problems financially? Maybe I do because when I lost my eyeglasses that is important I cannot replaced it so GOD moved my friend to buy that eyeglasses I needed. She is not very rich but can afford anything. She kept telling me that the many answers to my prayer for her and her old mother is worth more than what she gives me. Problems of abuse? Yes, I did from the hands of my sisters friends but I’m here to say that GOD protected me and I barely think of the situations.
It is important to remember that our GOD is a GOD of yesterday, today and forever WHO goes back to the events of our past, where we cannot go and when we receive HIM in our hearts, HE cleans the slate of our past. HE erased it all with HIS blood and in Isaiah 1:18 our hearts become as white as snow. We must forgive the past and the people in it as GOD forgives us and release it all to GOD. HE will help us release it if we will let go of it. It is a burden to the carrier and the hearer, hearing this past over and over, again and again like a broken record. When we stop playing back the past we will have a renewed mind and a soft heart to the love letters of our GOD.
Let’s put into practice today our devotional and experience the condition of being born-again, being renewed in our hearts and minds in CHRIST JESUS. Let’s receive the healing this truth carries in its wings. Lets received them as truth completely and shun the lies of Satan. Just knowing it and not experiencing it is like building a house in the sand. It cannot help us when the storm of life comes!
Good Devotional today! I needed that devotional. I had a busy afternoon at my volunteer. I was about ready to cry! It was busier than it usually is. I kept telling myself your fine, relax, the Lord is in control you are not. You won’t fall to pieces! I didn’t fall to pieces like I have in the past. I managed to keep 3 tasks together! The down side of it was my back seized up until I had to leave early. I started to cry with pain once I got out and I managed to get home. I still have a lot of pain and I looked at the weather channel and it is going to rain! here on Friday! A weather burometre. Please continue to pray for me as May 12 is the day my mom passed away 2 years ago and I am missing her a lot these days! with mother’s day coming!
great devotional