Renew Your Mind for Healthy Relationships | Pastor Paula White-Cain | City of Destiny

The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” This highlights the importance of our thoughts and feelings. How we think or feel about something ultimately shapes who we are and how we act. This concept is crucial because your thoughts and emotions influence your behavior, which then leads to consequences and cycles. Most of the issues we face, whether cyclical or behavioral, are simply the result of what has been input into our minds and hearts.

As believers, one of the hardest challenges is renewing our minds to have the mind of Christ. The Bible tells us that “the just shall live by faith,” and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The Word of God cleanses and transforms us when it is planted in our hearts. Not everyone grew up in an ideal environment—no family is perfect. Only Jesus Christ was sinless and perfect. The rest of us are a work in progress. Some of us may have experienced more hardship, but God can still work in us. Your spiritual background, the exposure you had to God’s Word, whether you followed it or not, leaves a lasting impact. That Word, once planted, can call you back to your foundation.

Even if you didn’t grow up in the church or hear the gospel, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It’s never too late to start anew with Him. This renewal begins with Romans 12:1-2, where it urges us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This act of worship is logical and intelligent. We must not conform to the superficial values of the world but be transformed—metamorphosized—by the renewing of our minds.

Transformation means a complete change, like the metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly. We move from being disconnected from God to being made into His image, moving from glory to glory. This is the victorious, abundant life Christ died to give us. Through this transformation, we fulfill our purpose, bringing our flesh under submission to the Holy Spirit. It is an ongoing process, where daily we must crucify our flesh.

As our minds are renewed, we begin to see the world, our relationships, finances, and even how we raise our children and conduct business through the lens of God’s Word. This transformation helps us live according to God’s values and ethical standards. It is crucial that we test and prove what the will of God is for our lives—what is good, acceptable, and perfect in His plan and purpose for us.

Daily, we should pray, “Bind me to the will of God,” asking for His guidance in fulfilling His purpose. The key to fulfillment is knowing your identity in Christ. When you understand who you really are in Him, no one can knock you off course. Your confidence and truth come from hearing the voice of God and knowing what He says about you. This foundation keeps you anchored, no matter what others say or do.