The idea of transformation, becoming the person God intends for you to become, has many facets to it. There are ways in which God desires and has designed every person to be similar. There are also ways in which God desires and has designed every person to be significantly different.
Transforming into who we are meant to be has to do with our mind, our heart and our habits. The Apostle Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Rome and instructed them in the process of transformation. He wrote:
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. (Romans 12:2 NLT)
His instructions talk about habits: Don’t copy the behaviors and customs of those around you.
His instructions talk about the mind: “…let God transform you … by changing the way you think.”
His instructions talk about the heart: “…then you will learn to know God’s will … good and pleasing and perfect.
These three components working together bring about the transformation that God has designed. Transformation is almost impossible when it fails to include all three parts of process. Transformation requires a change of habits, but changing habits without changing thinking fails to enable transformation. Transformation requires changed thinking, but just thinking alone is inadequate. Changed thinking has to be accompanied with a desire to know what is good, pleasing and perfect to God.
Most often what we want to change is habits, but habits are often the last thing to change. Change your thinking and your mind gets changed. Change your mind and your heart gets changed. Change your heart and your habits change.
Changing your mind is why the affect on your life of spending time in the Scriptures is incalculable. King David said, “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11
Change your mind, Change your heart. Change your heart, Change your habits.
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