'The mind is the brush that paints the whole house'
Posted by Chris Scott (Senior Leader Bridge Church)
We all know that change is both inevitable and necessary. In every area of life we understand nothing remains static. Even if we wanted it to, the reality is that it simply not possible, because our circumstances are in constant flux. Bodies change, seasons change; everything changes eventually. No two days are ever the same. As someone once said ‘the most constant thing in life is change!’
Change is not always easy to embrace or sustain. When it comes to personal issues, particularly issues of habits and weakness we find it hugely difficult to initiate and then sustain change. The classic example of this is the New Years resolution. We enter January with great expectation but often find by the second week in February they have evaporated into thin air.
If you have been around in the Bridge Church for any length of time you will know that I am convinced that the key to this issue of initiating, sustaining and processing change lies in the mind. One of the most powerful yet underestimated passages in the Bible is in Rom 12 where Paul says that transformation come by the renewing of our minds.
The power to change, and the ability to make the most of the changing world around us, comes from a mind that is pure, focused and devoted to Gods purposes. That will colour everything we do or say. As the title suggests ‘the mind is the brush that paints the whole house’
There is simply no point in trying to change something externally if we haven’t first changed the way we think about it. It’s wasted effort. It’s like asking your computer to run a programme that has not been installed on the hard drive. No matter how many times you hit the keyboard, it won’t respond because it is not programmed to perform that task.
We can demand change from our bodies, our attitudes, our routines but it won’t happen unless it comes from a mind that is transformed. From trying to keep fit, to reading the bible more, or dealing with a bad habit, the truth is that if we don’t change the programming internally nothing will change externally.
We can demand change from our bodies, our attitudes, our routines but it won’t happen unless it comes from a mind that is transformed. From trying to keep fit, to reading the bible more, or dealing with a bad habit, the truth is that if we don’t change the programming internally nothing will change externally.s
Proverbs 23:7 says ‘as a man thinks so he is.’ We are what we think, and we do what we think. Even if we do manage to change things on the surface by some superhuman effort of our own will, it will be fragile and unsustainable. True colours will show eventually.
The bottom line is this. Outer life flows from inner life. Paul’s says in Rom 8:6 “to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” This is a crucially important principle; our 'mindedness' determines our life.
Being a Christian is far more than just our human effort ‘to be good’ or ‘to do better.’ It’s a transformational experience that offers access to the power of the Holy Spirit to renew us from the inside out. Unless this regeneration affects the way we think, it will never affect the way we live.
So how do we do that? Well it may be a challenging process, but for now, start to submit your mind, and your thoughts to God. If you want to see change in areas of your life, then start to ‘set your minds’ as well as your heart on those things. Plan around change, and plan for change.
Remember this; we have to change the colour in the paint pot first, if we want to change the colour of the house!
Chris
