Ministering to a Woman’s Heart, Soul, Mind, and StrengthIsampula

DAY 4: Renewing Your Mind

We cannot ignore the reality that we are cognitive creatures; we are aware of and think about ourselves often. Furthermore, our thoughts drive so much of what we say and do, particularly when those thoughts become disordered. And yet, when we think about ministering to women in this area, quite often we think that this stops at Bible knowledge. If a woman simply learns more, we think, she’ll do better or be better.

But what is she to think of? What is it that is so vital to her that she cannot live without? As we minister to women, a key area to address is her thought life. Our thoughts are private things, and many of us guard ourselves from sharing our thoughts with others. 

So we must be willing and vulnerable, encouraging one another to be transparent about what’s going on in our minds. God cares deeply about our thoughts; several times He issues warnings against our mind being focused on the wrong things (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 10:3-6; Phil 4:8). Just as God is concerned about the focus of our thoughts, so too should we be concerned about these things.

As believers, it is crucial that we submit our thoughts to God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. Our understanding of the accurate knowledge of God will lead to right thinking, which leads to obedience in Christ—and spiritual transformation.

The key to a renewed mind—and by extension, a renewed life—is to saturate your mind with the word of God. Apart from God’s word, our minds will always default back to idolatry and lies, which we must fight actively day in and day out. Here’s how: 

1. Read, re-read, and then re-read the Scripture. Find a reading plan, a bible translation, an app, or anything else that encourages reading. Encourage women to make their Bibles a well-used book.

2. Meditate on the word. Teach women to choose passages of Scripture and think deeply about them. Turn the passages into prayers, journal entries, and even conversation points. 

3. Memorize the word. The Spirit uses the word of God that is implanted in our hearts to renew our minds. Psalm 119 tells us that if we hide God’s word in our hearts, we will not sin against him. Help your women memorize chunks of Scripture that help them fight against sin and remember the gospel.

4. Prioritize the word. It is also important that we remind the women in our ministries to make sure they invest more effort in these three things than they are in seeking out other sources of information. Social media, television, music, and books are not necessarily evil, but they can be a distraction from the word of God.

The pathway to a renewed mind is not complicated. In fact, it is quite simple. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to shape the thinking of the child of God. Our responsibility is to immerse ourselves in the Word and then enjoy all God does in our lives.

Reflect:  

• What do you tend to dwell on the most (what consumes your daily thoughts)? Why do you think you are mentally consumed by this? What do you think you will gain by dwelling on it so often?