We read in Romans 12:2 ‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ In just a few words we find out what we have to do – be transformed, and how to do it. But what does it mean to be transformed and how do we renew our minds?
Let’s start with transformation.
In the scripture quoted above we find that the word ‘transformed’ comes from the Greek word ‘metamorphoo’. From this we get our English word ‘Metamorphosis’ which is the process by which a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. Now, if we take this example, it tells us exactly what happens in this process.
A caterpillar is very limited in where it can go and the distance it can travel. A butterfly, on the other hand, is practically unlimited in its horizons. For example, the Monarch butterfly flies from the rainforests of Brazil to Nova Scotia in Canada, and then back to Brazil, a distance of over eight thousand miles round trip.
When we are transformed we too are unlimited in our possibilities. No longer are we restricted, earth-bound, but our possibilities are infinite. This is all possible because we have the ability to renew our minds.
But what does it mean to renew our minds?
It means that we are fed up with the limitations imposed by our old way of thinking and set our intention to change the way we think, and the way we feel and ultimately the way we act.
It was Einstein who said, ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’.
We literally have to change who we are – just like the great character actors of Hollywood who actually became the personality they were portraying. We have to put on the ‘new man’ who is comfortable in the surroundings we wish to create.
This is done by creating a clear picture of what you want, for example – a healthy body, more comfortable surroundings or a better financial situation – and then stepping into the picture. This is accomplished during your time of prayer and meditation.
When you are clear on what you want, ask yourself, what kind of person you would have to become to fit comfortably into your picture – how would they talk? How would they think? How would they feel? How would they act?
Somebody once said, ‘To be a millionaire, you must first act like a millionaire’.
All true change in the physical comes from a change, first of all, on the inside.
Mind renewal is the true key to transforming your life from something restricted and dull to a life filled with endless possibilities and potential.
Most of the modern Church institutions have become powerless, spiritually devoid social clubs, all saying the right things but denying the power of the gospel. It was the healing evangelist, John G Lake who said over a hundred years ago that every church should have the letters ‘LTD’ written after their name – because they are limited in power, limited in vision and limited in their ability to minister the ability and authority granted us in Jesus Christ.
We are three part beings – spirit, soul and body. Most of the time we take care of our bodies, but neglect our soul and spirit. We all know that when we are deprived of sleep we don’t function as efficiently. We can’t think ‘straight’, our ability to focus is altered and we tend to be irritable, in other words our body starts to break down.
When you ask most people what their concept of God is, you invariably get the description of a grand old man with a white beard, sitting on a throne somewhere up in the sky, arbitrarily deciding whether or not to answer Yes or No to the many requests that come His way on a daily basis.
When the movie ‘The Secret’ came out some years ago, it was an overnight success. All of a sudden there was this ‘breakthrough’ in new information that had the ability to change people’s minds and circumstances for the better.