Be Transformed: How God Renews Your Mind From the Inside Out

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." — Romans 12:2 (NIV)

You can't make someone else feel important if deep down you feel that they are 'nobody'. What you feel in secret will eventually come out in your behaviour. It may not necessarily be in the words that you say, but it can be in the subtleties of your body language — in the way you act; in the way you spend your time with them; or in the very avoidance you may have toward that individual.

As humans, we are very sensitive to these unwritten and unspoken vibes. We all emit something towards each other that defies explanation. It's beyond the physical, but it's what we feel. We sense when people warm to us. We feel intimacy. We feel vibes that come off people as humans.

Every one of us knows what it is like to be on the outside. Every one of us knows what it feels like to be snubbed or not accepted. Now all this comes from the deep-down secret thoughts that we have about people. Somewhere in our subconscious we make presumptions; we pass judgements; we determine our attitudes and it is at this deep-down level that God so much wants to help us.

The Bible says that 'as a man thinks, so he becomes'. Jesus taught that it was the thought life of a person that determined eventually their behaviour. God comes into our lives to give us a whole new way of thinking. He transforms us by renewing our minds. God is in the business of affecting our secret thoughts: of influencing our deep-down opinions and responses. At this most fundamental level of human interaction, God can help us.

What a different world it would be if our heart-motivations were different toward each other. If our secret thoughts and hidden inner-feelings could be touched and changed so that appropriate and positive vibes would be given out to each other. How different our world would then be in the way we get along with each other.

Reflection/Action:
Think about the atmosphere that surrounds your life. What are the signals you send out? Reflect on your body language. What 'vibes' do you project? How can you better build integrity between what you feel toward someone outwardly and what you feel inwardly? Take some time to think about people that challenge you. Reflect on those you find it difficult to get on with. Ask God to soften your heart and show you how you might better respond to them.