The Benefits of a Made-Up Mind

What condition is your mind in? Have you noticed it changes? For example, in one situation you may be calm, peaceful and certain of yourself, but in another you're anxious, worried and insecure.  

There have been times in my life when I’ve been able to make a decision quickly and easily and stick with it. Other times I couldn't arrive at a decision because of doubt, fear and uncertainty. These things caused me to second-guess myself and I couldn’t make up my mind. 

At that time I didn’t know that I could do anything about my thought life. I believed in God—and had for many years—but I had no teaching at all about the proper condition of a believer's mind.  

But when I began to study the Bible and became more serious about my relationship with the Lord, I learned that many of my problems were rooted in wrong thinking patterns.  

Romans 12:2 says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God.... And Romans 8:6 (NLT) says, Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

These verses teach us that we understand what the will of God is as we choose to think the way He thinks, and this mindset gives us peace in our decision making.  

When my mind was undisciplined because my sinful nature was ruling my thoughts, I was indecisive and insecure. So I tried to correct the problem by rejecting the wrong thoughts that came into my mind, but they were persistent.   

Many people struggle with this because, like me, they have spent years allowing their minds to wander. They've never applied the principles of discipline to their thought lives.  

With God’s help, I have learned to train my mind to keep my focus on what I’m doing, and choose to agree with His Word and His way of doing things. It wasn’t easy, and sometimes I still have relapses, but I understand how important it is not to allow my mind to go wherever it wishes, whenever it desires.   

Remember, the mind is the battlefield and indecision and uncertainty are just results of losing battles, which can cause you to think there’s something wrong with you. But the truth is, your mind just needs to be disciplined.  

Ask God to help you, and then refuse to allow your mind to think about whatever it pleases. Begin today to control your thoughts and keep your mind on what you're doing. And be patient with yourself, because breaking old habits and forming new ones always takes time.  

Most importantly, take time to renew your mind with God’s Word every day. As you do, you’ll discover how to win the battle for your mind, you'll be much more certain of yourself, and you'll be able to make up your mind with confidence.