• Start
    Here
    • Start Here
    • About Barb
    • Barb Raveling’s Books
    • Renew Your Mind Seminar
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Contact
  • Renew
    Your Mind
    • Renewing of the Mind Project
    • Renewing of the Mind Tools
    • Grow Closer to God
    • Transformation 101
    • Renewing Your Mind Bible Study
  • Bible
    Studies
    • Free Bible Studies
    • Leader’s Guides & Resources
    • Online Bible Studies
  • Live In
    Peace
    • How To Live in Peace
    • Anger
    • Worry/Fear
    • Depression & Discontentment
    • Insecurity
    • Stress
    • Boredom
    • Other Emotions
  • Pursue
    A Goal
    • How to Start a Habit
    • How to Pursue a Goal
    • Goals and Productivity
    • Ministry and Blogging
  • Lose
    Weight
    • How to Lose Weight
    • Weight Loss Resources, Classes, & FAQ
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Weight Loss App
    • Weight Loss Bible Study
    • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Break
    A Habit
    • How To Break a Habit
    • Habits Blog Posts
  • Podcasts &
    Coaching
    • Coaching with Barb
    • Christian Habits Podcast
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Podcast Interviews

Barb Raveling

Tips, Tools, & Bible Studies to Renew Your Mind

Subscribe

  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Taste for Truth Christian Weight Loss Podcast
    • Christian Habits Podcast
You are here: Home / Bible Studies/Worksheets / Bible Study: God’s View of Your Goal

Bible Study: God’s View of Your Goal

January 13, 2013 By: Barb Raveling

This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy here.

IMG_1082Do you ever get discouraged when you work on a New Year’s resolution? It’s easy to give up because we feel like we’ll never change. We’re not the only ones who struggle with this.

If we look at the letters Paul wrote to believers in the Bible, we can see that they struggled with the same sins we do. They weren’t changed in an instant the minute they became believers.

Let’s take a look at Paul’s advice to them and see if we can find something to help us in our own struggles with transformation.

Bible Study: God’s View of Your Goal

1. Read Ephesians 1:1. Who is Paul writing to?

2. We can find out what they were struggling with by looking at what Paul was telling them to do and not do. Read  Ephesians 4:1, 17-19. Describe their struggle.

3. Read Ephesians 4:22-24. What did Paul tell them to do if they wanted to break free from their former manner of life?

4. What comes between the old self and the new self? (Ephesians 4:23)

Transformed by Truth

Paul tells us the old self is walking around in the futility of his mind, darkened in his understanding of life. He’s not seeing life from a biblical perspective.

That’s basically what we’re doing in the area of our New Year’s resolution. We’re stuck in our old-self behavior because we’re not seeing life from God’s perspective.

If we want to reach our goals, we need to throw off the lies that are fueling our old behavior and put on the truth that will set us free. In other words, renew our minds. Let’s see what this looks like on a practical level.

An Exercise for Your Goal

Think of your own new year’s resolution or something you’re trying to change in your life. What did you learn from your family about this area of your life? What did you learn through your social interactions in school? What do you learn through commercials on television? What are you currently telling yourself?

These are your “old self” thoughts.

Make a chart like the one I have below, and put those thoughts in the my view column.

When you’ve finished, evaluate each thought according to Scripture (this is the renewing of the mind part) and write down God’s view in the God’s view column.

An Example: Perfectionism

Here’s a chart I filled out for one of my own new year’s resolutions which is to break free from perfectionism.

My View

God’s View

I need to be perfect. You will never be perfect. You’re a sinner. Fortunately, I’ve saved you by grace. I love you even though you’re not perfect!!
If I’m not perfect, people will condemn me. Here’s the sad truth, Barb: you can’t live life without being condemned. I was condemned, and I was perfect, which shoots down your theory. If you’ve sinned against someone, ask for forgiveness. Otherwise, don’t worry about it. Oh, and by the way, I don’t condemn you – and I’m the King of the Universe!
It is terrible if people condemn me. It’s sad, but not terrible.  If you want to love well, you need to be willing to be condemned. And I want you to love well.
I need to live up to their expectations so that won’t happen. Thou shalt have no other gods before me, Barb. Don’t worry about what they think. Worry about what I think! Seek first the kingdom of God. And always remember: I LOVE you even when everyone else out there is condemning you. Even when you are condemning yourself.

Why You Won’t Change if You Don’t Renew Your Mind

Do you see why we need to renew our minds if we want to change? Just look at my chart. If I keep thinking I have to be perfect to be acceptable, then of course I’m going to keep trying to be perfect – because I want to be acceptable!

If on the other hand I move over to the right side of the chart – God’s side – I’ll no longer feel like I have to be perfect. That will free me up to move out of my self-centeredness and into a sacrificial love for others.

I’ll get over to the right side of the chart by renewing my mind over and over again until I see life from His perspective first time around.

Click here for more free Bible studies on goals and other topics.

 

Related Posts:

  • To Give Advice or Not Give Advice? 6 Rules to Follow
  • 10 Lies that Make Us Give Up on New Year's Resolutions
  • How to Stop Being Angry – 12 Tips
205 shares
  • Share37
  • Tweet

Comments

  1. Karen Foster says

    January 14, 2013 at 11:26 am

    Your chart is a practical way to compare our thoughts with God’s mind. Isn’t it wonderful we have access to God’s Word so we can cling to truth instead of the lies we swallow and live by.

    • Barb says

      January 14, 2013 at 7:35 pm

      I don’t know what I’d do without it. :) He sets the captives free in so many different ways.

  2. Loren Pinilis says

    January 15, 2013 at 6:01 am

    I like this. Paul’s letters were written because the recipients had to be reminded – over and over again – about the truth. So we can take heart.

    • Barb says

      January 15, 2013 at 12:39 pm

      Yes, we can. And much better to take heart than to beat ourselves up!

  3. tcavey says

    January 17, 2013 at 11:44 am

    Really powerful post. I struggle with perfectionism too. You really spoke volumes to me!
    I really like this part, “I was condemned and I was perfect, which shoots down your theory”
    So true and so liberating!

    You also struck a cord about how if I worry about what others think of me I am making them a god. WOW! That hurt, I’m guilty of that and God is worthy of more than what I offer when I worry about what others think.

    Thank you so much for this post. Great job!

  4. Barb says

    January 17, 2013 at 8:24 pm

    Thanks, TC. God is chipping away at my perfectionism and people pleasing. Making this chart really helped plus I made another one a couple of days later and that helped even more. I would sure love to break completely free of perfectionism and people pleasing this year and develop the habit of just being happy with doing what God wants me to do and not worrying about what others think. I’m hoping this will be the year that happens. Last year was certainly a year filled with opportunities for Him to work on me in this area of my life!

Search Blog

Connect with us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Popular Posts

  • Spiritual Attack: 10 Tips for Spiritual Warfare
  • How to Meditate on Scripture
  • How To Renew Your Mind
  • Freedom from Food Addiction through Truth Journaling with Debbie
  • Weight Loss Bible Study: Day 1
  • How to Truth Journal
  • Feeling Guilty: 10 Bible Verses & 8 Questions
  • How to Overcome Insecurity with God’s Help
  • Bible Study on Worry
  • When Life is Hard: A Bible Study on Trials

Archives

Categories

  • Anger
  • Bible Studies/Worksheets
  • Boredom
  • Christian Habits Podcast
  • Depression/Discontentment
  • Goals and Productivity
  • Grow Closer to God
  • Habits Blog Posts
  • Insecurity
  • Letting Go of Negative Emotions
  • Marriage
  • Ministry and Blogging
  • Other Emotions
  • Stress
  • Transformation 101
  • Uncategorized
  • Weight Loss Blog Posts
  • Weight Loss Podcast
  • Worry/Fear
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (www.lockman.org).
Copyright © 2023 • Custom blog design by The Pixelista • Built on the Genesis Framework
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT