The renewing of our mind exchanges dependence on our carnal mind with subjection to the mind of Christ. Consider that for a moment. Born with the mind of our flesh, we find ourselves at enmity with God; reborn of Christ, we now also have His mind (1Corinthians 2:16).
And the battle for our transformation begins!
We are being transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), and the Holy Spirit is our transformer (2Corinthians 3:18). However, we cannot afford to be passive participants in this ongoing process. Based on personal experience and the testimony of others, I am confident that the renewal of our minds requires our cooperation.
We, born-again believers in Jesus Christ, are responsible for choosing the mind to which we turn. This is a continuous responsibility that particularly proves itself in the face of danger, confusion, offense, aggravation, etc.
This matter of the minds is challenging, to say the least. Thank goodness, God has given us an abundance of instruction. Here’s one I discovered just the other day.
Commit your works to the LORD,
And your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:3
Does this verse strike you as odd (as it first did me)? Shouldn’t we have our thoughts established before we set out to work? Once again, we find that God’s ways and thoughts are above our own.
In Ephesians 2:10, we learn that God “created [us] in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Knowing the end from the beginning, God has carefully created and orchestrated our every good work.
With this knowledge in hand, our carnal mind would have us quickly engage our reasoning capacity to identify the good works God has created for us, and encourage us to get on with them. What skills do I have? What do I like to do? How can I use this work to support myself and a family? Who can help me? What work will draw the most attention? The questions are endlessly distracting from the one thing God expects of us.
Our relationship with God, including this matter of our works, is predicated on our surrender to Him. This is the revelation of Proverbs 16:3. Before we begin to think about the works – before we give them one thought – we must commit (i.e., entrust) them to the LORD. From there, He will establish our thoughts.
To bring this back to the renewal of our minds: Our natural tendency is to engage our carnal reasoning to determine the works we are to do. When we resist this temptation and begin by entrusting our works to the LORD, we consequently subject our thinking to the mind of Christ. Our thoughts become established, by the Holy Spirit, in righteousness.
So, what does one do when they are already deep in the work?
Recognizing that God has grace to work all things to good for those who love Him and are called to His purposes (Romans 8:28), the first corrective step is to seek God’s input on the situation. Ask Him to expose your carnal mind’s involvement in the choice of work and the way it is being done. Reject your carnal mind and seek God forgiveness.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:9
God knew you would find yourself in this situation; He is not surprised. Commit your works to Him and He will establish your thoughts. That may be anything from working you out of your current work to consecrating the work (and you) for His purposes. In any case, you will have begun participating in the renewal of your mind.
God bless you with courage to ask the hard questions about your works. God bless you with the renewal of your mind.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob