Renew My Mind: A New Year’s GuideSample

Last year, without even realizing it, I slid into a pattern of thinking that some of my work efforts had been pointless because I didn’t see the precise results I was hoping for. When giving a presentation to a group of peers, they gave me feedback on all the ways my efforts had succeeded. In that moment it was as if the scales fell off my eyes. I realized that I had been stuck in a months-long negative thought spiral that was clouding my judgment and causing me BIG discouragement. In fact, I’d given up on a handful of opportunities because my view of my efforts was so clouded.

Verse 23 (NLT) of today’s passage says “…let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Let’s pause on this. How would the Spirit want to renew our thoughts and attitudes? The broader context of the verse gives us some clues. If you read the very next verse, we read “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” The passage then moves into some behaviors: to stop telling lies, stop letting anger control you, to quit stealing, and to stop using foul or abusive language. When I consider the thoughts and attitudes that would support us in doing these things, I come up with an empowering list:

·If we allow the Spirit to renew our thoughts about what is true and who we are as children of God, we will not be as tempted to lie.

·If we allow the Spirit to renew our thoughts and attitudes about others, we will be less tempted to act out in our anger.

·If we allow the Spirit to renew our thoughts towards abundance and God’s provision, we will be less tempted to steal.

·If we allow the Spirit to renew our attitudes about holiness, we will be less tempted to use foul or abusive language.

For me, the Spirit of God renewed my thoughts and attitudes through the voices of my peers. I was able to wake up and see that my thoughts had been negatively skewed, leading me to give up on important projects that held great meaning for me! I dearly hope that next year I will allow the Spirit to renew my thoughts and attitudes more readily.

How do you need the Spirit of God to renew your thoughts and attitudes in the New Year? Have you sensed His voice through important people in your life? What might it look like to listen to and nurture the thoughts and behaviors that are from God throughout the New Year? What behaviors might follow?

For the complete New Year’s Reflection that Janice uses, click here:

https://janicemcwilliams.com/get-your-new-years-reflection-guide/

It is a FREE and abundantly helpful guide to having a faith-filled year.