If I were to write my life story – in all honesty, flaws and all – it would be a life of struggle. It’s hard to believe, yet even harder to admit, that me – a Christian since I was a kid, and now, a leader and actively involved in the church – was a struggling Christian in real life. I’ve struggled with a lot of things. When I was growing up, I struggled with self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-image; Everything about myself. Yes, I struggled with it. When it got to the later part of my teenage years, I was struggling with guilt, condemnation, and regret. There are things I wished was left unseen, unsaid, unheard, and undone.
When you are a Christian and you’re reading this, you might say, “How could she think/feel this way?”
Then it hit me. I was a “mediocre” Christian, and I know, I’m not the only one. There are some parts of my life I refuse to surrender fully to God, and sadly, these are also the parts where I am repeatedly controlled and defeated by the enemy. If I were to be really serious in my relationship with God, I should fully give up myself so that He could change me. Yet, I still have to be thankful for the breakthroughs He has given me in the past years. These were parts of me I know I’ve completely surrendered.
Being a Christian for a very long time, I have discovered that I have deep desire to encourage and see new Christians grow and develop deeply their relationship in Christ because I know full well the inexplicable beauty of salvation. I don’t want them to believe that a Christian life is a life of struggle and defeat, but rather, a life of victory and triumph – the way God has designed it.
When I think about my struggles now, they’re completely small and petty, compared to the promise of God’s Word. But I know you would agree with me if I say the struggles are the ones we highlight often rather than the assurance of God’s Word.
So you might ask now, “How could I live a life of triumph?”
I think the very first step is completely simple – be transformed completely. Well, isn’t one transformed when he is saved? Yes, one is transformed because from death, our Spirit was made alive. But there’s still one more aspect that needs to be changed everyday and in the Bible, the secret to complete change and transformation starts with one thing only, the mind.
“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 acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2, NKJV)
To put it simply,
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:2, The Message)
As much as I want to indulge myself in discussing further, I might not be able to make my point here. Most of the times, our struggles and greatest battles are in the mind, and in the transformation of the mind, you would be able to experience a life God has designed and purposed. Would you pass up an opportunity in living the best life?
Decide today. Not tomorrow, or the next day, but today.
If you want an in-depth study of transformation and renewing of the mind, click here.
