Why do we think the way we think? Some of it we learned from people that we trusted or admired. Some of it we learned by osmosis from influences around us. Some of it we learned by getting stung. But how we think comes out when we talk and when we make decisions.
Perspective makes a lot of difference in how things look. Looking at traffic and people and neighborhoods from an airplane is a lot different from waiting for the cars ahead to move and wondering how that person could say that and having an argument at home.
If the speech and behavior and decisions in our world come from how people think, then there must be something missing in the common perspective. Paul wrote, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” If we don’t want to just absorb the layout of thought that exists around us, we have to have other input.
The rest of Paul’s sentence says, “…that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). He implied the need for a way to test whether or not something is good and acceptable and perfect in the perspective of God, who sees both the overview and the up-close and infinitely much more.
Peter said, “…as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:2-3). Peter said that if anyone has experienced for themselves the kindness and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus, that person needs to grow. Our minds can be renewed only by our taking in the pure milk of God’s Word.
Better is having a renewed mind because then our words, actions, and decisions will begin to be good and acceptable and perfect in the eyes of our heavenly Father. Real freedom is wanting what He wants us to want in our speech, our lifestyle, our sexuality, our decisions, our goals – our everything.
In the last book of the Bible, God said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). There will be a new world one day, but we can experience part of that newness now.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.