Do you ever feel like you want to change, but you just can’t seem to make it happen? Often the reason we can’t change is because we’re trying to change in our own strength–and we’re not strong in that area of our lives.
Romans 12:2 tells us what to do if we want to change: renew our minds. There’s just one little problem. It’s hard to make ourselves renew our minds! When that happens, we need to renew about the renewing of the mind before we renew our minds.
We can do that by looking at the lies we believe that make us not want to renew (or have our quiet times), and then replace those lies with truth that will change our desires–and make us want to renew.
Here are 10 lies that keep us from renewing our minds and 10 truths that will make us actually want to renew our minds.
10 Lies That Keep Us from Renewing our Minds
- I’m already doing that. Often we think that as long as we go to church, pray, and read our Bibles, we’re already renewing our minds. This isn’t true. It’s only a renewing of the mind experience if we leave with renewed minds. For that to happen, our minds have to be actively engaged and we have to be willing to change the way we think about God, life, others, and ourselves. Click here to learn more about how to renew your mind.
- It’s not necessary. It’s easy to think this, because it’s not stressed in the church. But here’s the truth: God wants us to change! He gives us grace and loves us as-is, but He also wants us to work on holiness so we can love Him and others better. One of the best ways to work on that is to renew our minds since that’s what will transform us.
- It’s too hard. I can’t do it. I put these two lies together because, at least in my journal, they always seem to show up together. Here’s the truth: we can do it, we just can’t do it easily, smoothly, quickly, or perfectly. We also can’t do it in our own strength. Thankfully, we don’t need to because this is something we do with God, not for God.
- I don’t have time. It’s easy to believe this when we’re super busy, but the truth is that it doesn’t take that long to renew (see the next lie). So even on a busy day, we have time.
- It takes too long. Here’s the truth: we get to be in charge of how long it takes! A renewing of the mind session can last anywhere from one minute to one hour or longer. Both lengths of time are valuable. The shorter sessions are helpful for a quick attitude change and a temptation stopper. And the longer sessions are great for an intimate time of fellowship with God and an opportunity for Him to pour truth into us.
- It doesn’t work, so why bother? This is one of the enemy’s most trusty lies, because if he can get us to believe it, he knows we’ll quit trying and give up on that pesky old renewing habit. The answer to this lie is found in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. It works.
- It should be easier than this. Paul doesn’t go on to say, “All it will take is one renewing-of-the-mind session.” The truth is, it takes a lot of truth to combat Satan’s lies. Especially if we’ve been hearing those same lies over and over for most of our lives. God is faithful. He will change us, but He usually doesn’t do it overnight. The more often we renew our minds, the sooner we’ll see signs of that change.
- I’ve already renewed my mind about that subject before. Here’s the sad, sad truth: usually, we have to renew about the same lies over and over because those same lies keep popping up over and over. However, if we keep applying the truth day after day after day, eventually we’ll stop hearing the lies. The truth will be at the top of our minds, changing our desires and actions.
- I have to do this perfectly, and since I can’t do it perfectly I might as well not even try it. Oh, the lies of perfectionism. Here’s the truth: It’s impossible to do it perfectly. But that’s okay because we have a perfect helper: the Holy Spirit. He’ll help us as we seek to develop this habit.
- I don’t know how to renew my mind. Anytime we learn a new skill, we start out in I-don’t-know-how-to-do-this land. We learn how to do it through reading about it, trial and error, and practice, practice, practice.
Resources for Learning How to Renew Your Mind
If you’d like help with learning how to renew your mind, check out the following resources:
Renewing of the Mind Workshop – This is a series of blog posts I wrote to help you learn how to renew your mind.
Renewing of the Mind Project – This is a book I wrote after writing the above workshop that walks you through the renewing of the mind.
That’s funny about the pic, it’s something I would do.
I’ve discovered that I have to renew my mind on the same things. Each time I do, I grow. But it’s not a 1 time thing.
Satan knows my weaknesses and they are familiar. So if I don’t keep my focus on God, and renew my mind, I slid back into my old habits of worry, fear and perfectionism,
Great truths!
The nice thing is that the more often we renew our minds about the same lies, the sooner it will take to get over them. Unfortunately, sometimes “sooner” still means several years! Thankfully, we can trust God!
I REALLY needed this right now!! Thanks Barb!
So glad it was helpful, Betty!
Great advice. I like the part about writing it down. Such a powerful tool.
That shot is amazing too!
Thanks for the reminders, Barb. You’re right… just because we’ve done it before doesn’t mean we’re not ever going to have to do it again. It’s a life long battle in this flesh.
Hi Floyd! Not sure if you’re talking about our backpacking picture or the one in this blog post. We didn’t take the one in this blog post, but it’s beautiful! I love the ocean but don’t get there very often. Although that may change since one of our kids just moved to Portland! We went out to visit him last week and had a fun time camping and hiking along the coast. It’s so beautiful out there. Hope you have a good week!
Great post! During my commute to work I spend time connecting with God and also just waiting (renewing my mind). I find it refreshing and it gets me ready for my work day.
That’s great that you use your commute time that way! A great way to prepare for a day of work. I’ve actually started renewing my mind about writing before I write each day and it’s really been helping.
Hey Barb! This is a ‘test’ comment ad I have been unable to leave comments or Pin in the past few weeks. It has allowed me to Pin though, so i believe your switch of blog hosts has resolved the issue! Let me see if comment comes through!
Yay! So glad it’s working again. Thanks for testing it for me, Ngina!
Hello Barb
I recently stumbled across your website,(through Pinterest). I have a question for you, something that I really really struggle with as a Christian. I have such a hard time not putting myself in bondage!!!! Whether it is binge eating, exercising, dieting, or scrapping it all, I still find myself thinking about it way too much, it has always been an idol in my life! But I find when I try a program, what ever it may be it causes to me think, plan, shop, schedule all around food or food and exercise!!! Even something wonderful as your program causes me to focus on food, diet…like….. When to eat, when not to eat, what to eat, what not to eat, what is my boundary, how do I feel ect…….I’m so trapped and stuck I want to scream!!!!!! I feel that this is bondage too(for me) albeit wonderful, how do I balance it so I’m not making this an idol as well?
I hope that made sense.. I look forward to your response.
That’s a toughie, Dawn. It might be easier if I could visit with you in person about it. If you’d like to visit, here’s the link to my calendar scheduler: https://calendly.com/barbraveling. But I could also throw out some ideas in case you’re not comfortable with that.
I would think if you’re constantly struggling with obsession no matter what the boundaries, it’s probably an idol of skinny. That could also cause you to struggle with obsessive renewing of the mind if the reason you’re renewing your mind is to lose weight and you feel like you have to be skinny.
If that’s the case, the secret is to learn to hold skinny with open hands. So I would probably focus my efforts on renewing my mind whenever I felt like I HAD to renew my mind or I HAVE to make sure I’m following the boundaries perfectly or choosing the right ones etc. or I HAVE to be skinny.
The greed/lust questions would work for that (what you want is to be skinny) or the worry questions (worried about what will happen if you don’t do everything perfectly), the perfectionism questions, and I can’t remember if I have appearance eating questions. Could also look at why you feel like you have to be skinny and do the feeling condemned or feeling inadequate questions if you feel like you need to be skinny to be acceptable.
I would also think about going to counseling for the issue as it sometimes helps to have someone walk beside you with it to help get over things. But if you feel like you have to be skinny and you try to control things to cope with it, it wouldn’t be surprising that you’d obsess about all the boundaries and even the renewing of the mind. Hope that makes sense! Set up an appt. on the scheduler if you’d like to talk more about it – these are free calls.
Barb
I also found you through Pinterest. I started your “Bite” bible study I’m on day 25. I’ve been answering in a journal because I plan to go through it several times. God is using it! I’ve also been listening to your podcast. I hope your just taking a break for Christmas. Praying for you. Erin
The bible study I’m doing is “Taste of truth”. Learning lots.
Hi Erin! So glad God is using the Taste for Truth Bible study in your life! Yay! I’ve been taking a break because first I was teaching a Bible study at my church and working on writing that (hoping to publish it sometime this year), and now I’m trying to get a new version of Freedom from Emotional Eating out. Mostly just changing the cover and a few minor tweaks to the material but it still takes time. Thanks so much for praying for me – I REALLY appreciate it – and need it. :) Hoping to start a new weight loss podcast in late January, early February so keep a look out for that as well. Thanks for writing!
Would you have your books made available on audible audio? It would be super to listen to them as well as read them.
Thank you for all you do!
Hi Donna! That is something I’d like to do and I’ve had quite a few people ask me. I haven’t done it yet because I’m not sure how to do it with the questions and Bible verses and also just because of time and other things I’ve been trying to get done. I am putting some of the questions and Bible verses on the new podcast so that might help me make the next step towards getting something out there on audible. Basically I feel like I need some feedback as to the best way to do it (for example, should I leave time for people to answer the questions and if so, how much time?) If you have any ideas, let me know!