Transformation - How does it happen?

Change is never easy. In some way everyone has an aversion to change. Everyone has changed something about their life, and yet there are countless other areas that attempt after attempt to change have proven futile. What is it that produces lasting change? What is that produces real transformation in a person’s life?

Transformation begins in the mind. Transformation doesn’t happen by changing a behavior, feeling, habit or life pattern. Behavior, feeling, habits and life patterns change when through mind change. Often people define repentance as ‘turning from sin.’ Repentance in the Bible is not primarily ‘turning from sin’ but it is changing how I think.

You’ve probably had moments where you thought to yourself or even said out loud, “What was I thinking?” People think that, say that and grill themselves that way because they understand that thinking or is it were not thinking, dictates everything else a person does.

Winnie the Pooh one time asked, “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” That is a common mode of life for most people: stopping to think and forgetting to start again. Controlled thinking is an intentional way of living. Controlled thinking doesn’t just happen.

Paul wrote to the church in Philippi and said, “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8 NIV) Why the directive about what to think? Why write so forcefully about thinking? Because Paul understood that a person is directed by their thoughts.

In essence Paul was saying, “Think true and you’ll live true. Think right and you’ll live right. Think pure and you’ll live pure. Think what is admirable and you’ll live in an admirable way.”

Will Durant said that - the trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds. Thinking with hopes, fears or wishes is not intentional thinking. Thinking with hopes, fears or wishes is “whatever-comes-into-the-mind thinking.”

Change your thinking, and you’ll experience the transformation that God has in store for you.