Christ's Example of a Renewed Mind

“And do not be conformed to this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12;2)

 

We live in a world where burnout, anxiety, and mental unrest is commonplace. How do we go from burnout to a renewed mind. As we look at the life of Jesus, we can see how He demonstrated how to be at peace despite the inevitable suffering He had to face. Jesus lived a life of surrender, He stayed true to his purpose, He kept truth hidden in His heart.

A Life of Surrender

In all that Jesus did, he surrendered to the will of God. He says in multiple passages that He came to do the will of the Father. That whatever His father had Him do, that is what He would do. Jesus surrendered His own will and walked in alignment with the will of God. Proverbs says, A fool frets his way ( find the verse) We we stop fighting against God's way, we have peace. We experience a renewed mind when we surrender to God's ways and trust that He will "perfect that which concerns us." There is unrest, dissatisfaction, frustration, anxiety when we choose to follow our own way not God's will.So Jesus demonstrated in his life that he was willing to follow God's way rather than to fulfill His own way. 

True To Purpose

In addition to simply following the will of God, Jesus also was very clear on what His mission and purpose was. His life was an outflow of purpose driven actions. Everything He did was done in conjunction with the purpose He came to accomplish. He did not veer away from the calling that God had for Him. That calling was to redeem His people. To save His people from their sins. To give life and to give it more abundantly. (quote the scriptures) He was able to endure all that came His way because he was steadfast on His purpose. When we are not in tune of our calling and purpose then it is easy for us to be frustrated and have mental unrest. You also see this in Life of Paul. 

Truth was Hidden In His Heart

Jesus made it a regular practice to take time to meditate on God's word. Early in the morning, he would spend quiet time with God. During these times, He was able to fortify himself with words of truth. 
He was able to have a renewed mind because He had scriptures as a weapon. When tempted in the wilderness, He used the word "It is written." Even down to His death, He quotes scriptures that foretold His death. He comforted Himself with the words found in Psalms 22.  The words of God as found in the scriptures was His defense. And so it is with us. When we are faced with challenges, our go to defense out to be immediately recalling the Words of God. 

A Renewed Mind is Converted Mind 

When it comes right down to it. A renewed mind, is mind completely submitted to God. It is a converted mind, a mind that is clear about it's purpose, a mind that has the power of scripture that can be recalled in moments of distress. There is only one way that this can come about as Christians. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Right before Jesus died on the cross, He spent time with His disciples sharing with them, the role of the Holy Spirit. One of the most powerful things that the Holy Spirit can do is to bring your mind all that the Lord has taught. It is the Spirit of God that gives life. None of these things are possible without the movement of the Holy Spirit. So in our quest of embracing renewed mind and escaping the mental unrest brought on upon the world, do this one thing:  Ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to do its transforming work in your life.