What Home Renovations Have To Do With Transforming Our Mind and Our Thoughts
Transforming our minds and our thoughts are a lot like a home renovation.
Have you ever watched a home renovation or even lived through one?
Thirty years ago I lived in an old house while I renovated it for four and a half years! One room at a time, I removed and resurfaced old fixtures and features and brought in new materials and elements. I transformed the entire house room by room. The renovation took time and commitment to see its completion but it proved worth it.
Three years ago, I renovated a townhouse for my youngest daughter and her husband. The townhouse was over 30 years old and in need of significant updates. We did a major portion of the work ourselves and called in experts when necessary. We scraped popcorn ceilings, removed and replaced old carpet, flooring, and plumbing. We sanded walls and cabinets and repainted everything. We worked hard on that renovation, but I loved seeing the transformation.
Since that time, we remodeled our backyard and pool, as well as painted the entire interior of our home. I gave away 3 truckloads of home decor that graced the walls and shelves of my home for the past sixteen years. I was ready for a decor transformation!
All of these renovation experiences taught me applicable steps for transforming my thoughts.
What’s The Big Deal With Transforming Our Mind and Our Thoughts?
Maybe you are wondering, What’s the big deal with my thoughts? I gave my heart to Jesus and my heart is really what counts. Right?
Well yes, you are right. Your heart does count, but so does your mind. Scripture shows us how important our mind is in relation to our relationship with God all throughout the Bible.
How important our thoughts and our minds are to God.
David wrote in Psalm 26:2, Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. The prophet Jeremiah wrote about God testing the mind and the heart in Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10; and 20:12.
And of course, we can’t leave out Jesus’ teaching that our number one priority is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27.
So as you can see, our minds seem to be as important as our heart.
Why do our thoughts matter so much?
In Matthew 15:18 Jesus said that the things which proceed out of our mouth come from our hearts, and those thoughts defile us. In Romans 2:15-16, Paul said that our thoughts will either ACCUSE or make a defense for us in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
Proverbs 23:7 says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. In other words, our thoughts reveal the truth about us. And since there will be a day when Jesus evaluates our thoughts, transforming our mind and our thoughts is very important.
No wonder Paul told believers to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
And do not be conformed to this world but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2
Paul understood that what is on the inside eventually comes out and when it does, it has the potential to harm us.
“Be Transformed”
When Paul wrote Romans 12:2 saying, “be transformed,” he used the Greek term metamorphoo which means to transform or change one’s form. This is where we get our English word, metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is the process of transformation from one thing to something completely different. In the New Testament, metamorphoo was used only in the Greek middle voice which shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action.
How are we to be transformed? Romans 12:2 says “by the renewing of our mind”. The original Greek word for “renewing” means renovation or a complete change for the better. And as the Greek term explains, we take an active role in our own transformation process. We act in our own interest, on our own behalf and participate in the transformation.
Let me share a few lessons learned from my past home renovations applicable to transforming our mind and our thoughts.
1) Know That Renovations Take Time And Commitment.
Renovations don’t happen overnight. Real home renovations take weeks, sometimes months, and even years. We need to know, that transforming our mind and our thoughts is a process that happens with slow, steady, consistency and commitment to do what it takes to see the transformation through to the end.
2) Evaluate What Is Bad And Good.
In a home renovation we evaluate what is bad and what is good. We need to know before we get started what needs throwing out, what stays, and what needs an update. The same goes for our mind and our thoughts. Before transformation happens, determining what thoughts are old, bad, ugly, or outdated with who we are in Christ, is a necessary evaluation.
3) Have The Right Tools For The Job.
Renovations require tools that are appropriate for each task. One of my most commonly used tools is a tape measure. The tape measure gives us a set, unchanging measurement to go by. Once we make the commitment of time and begin to evaluate our thoughts, we need a standard by which we measure our thoughts so we make a correct evaluation. The Bible or God’s Word is that standard.
4) Know Who To Call To Get The Job Done.
Taking on the task of remodeling a house usually requires an expert for tasks that are beyond your own capabilities. We may pick up our cell phone and give the expert a call, seeking His wisdom, help, and work in the process.
Transforming our mind often reaches beyond our capabilities, but not beyond God’s. As I said earlier, we do our part in the transformation process, but without God, we face an impossible task. True transforming power comes from a relationship with God through our Savior Jesus and the Holy Spirit living and working in us. As believers, we have daily access to the One whose transforming power, wisdom, and help works immeasurably more than we can ask or think.
So dear sister, call on The Mind and Thought Transformation Expert through prayer and reading your Bible!
