Set Your Mind
Colossians 3:1-2
[1] IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.] [2] And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. AMPC
Mindset: a fixed state of mind, a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations
Those who study the neuroscience of the mind and its thinking process, state we either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Whether there are two or possibly more, when examined, they generally fall under a fixed or growth mindset.
When we are left to think on anything, it’s amazing what our minds can dwell on and how long we can stay in a fixed thought process.
Usually we see this more prevalent in older people. They have already made up their mind and are not going to change for anyone or anything. Even though at times this can be good, the majority of the time we find it limits or completely stifles any growth.
When a person has a fixed mindset, they have decided or “they have made up their mind” and will never venture past this view. They have a set of parameters by which to think, which has worked for them for many years and this is where they live their life. It’s where they feel comfortable.
This is not just limited to older people. Many times we find younger adults are no different. They have formed a mindset they like or have adopted, and so they decide this is where they will sit and generally with an attitude of “I know” and which feels comfortable to them.
It’s interesting how often this concept of comfort plays such a significant role in our mindsets. Many times we don’t want to admit it but all of us, young or old, have a comfort zone and a fixed way of thinking no matter what comes our way in life. The important question for all of us, do we have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?
As a christian we should have a mind fixed on Jesus. He is now the author and finisher of our faith, which means there is always room to improve and grow. Of course author, meaning He is the one writing our story. If we let Him He will be in charge of our continual growth. Age has no barriers on this. There is always room to grow and keep growing until we see Him as He is, in His throne room, face to face.
This scripture at the start can be translated, “fix your thoughts or thinking on the things above”, “make the decision to focus on the things above. To “deliberately think or set your mind on the things above”. It is to decide, to make a choice. This scripture reveals the individual has the ability to do so. They can have a fixed mindset on the things above.
I know it almost seems like an oxymoron. However, we can have a fixed mindset which can continually grow based on how we set our minds on the right thoughts. To set our minds on the things above will cause us to grow in the right direction. It will allow us to expand who we are and how we respond.
Set: To fix firmly; to make fast, permanent, or stable; to render motionless; to give an unchanging place, form, or condition to.
Like putting a post in the ground, you want to set it so as to never move. You want it to be strong and sturdy like putting a pillar into concrete, one you do not want to move.You deliberately set your mind with one way of thinking. It’s a fixed state of mind, where and how Jesus wants us to set our mind.
1 Corinthians 2:16
[16] …. But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes]. AMP
As I stated before, it is amazing what our minds can dwell on at different intervals of the day. We can become so fixed on certain aspects of ourselves and the life surrounding us, yet if trained right, our mindset can cause us to grow everyday. It can be a self supporting base of power, keeping us filled with faith as God’s hands on our lives.
The wrong form of fixed mindset can be like a steel trap door, shutting and not letting go of its catch. We end up continually going over and over with a negative view. Things may or may not happen, yet we play them out as if they will. Sometimes we are dwelling and replaying something that has already happened as if we can go back and change it, which we cannot. A wrong mindset can keep us focused on a negative view of ourselves and dwelling in this area keeps us locked in to a wrong view of life.
The basics of our thoughts are conversations we are having with ourselves. We may say “I am thinking about it”. The reality of this is we are talking to ourselves, mulling over in words we call thoughts. In fact we are always talking to ourselves. The clinical term is called “self talk”. If we are thinking about something, whether we are aware of it or not, we are talking to ourselves and will run it by where our mind is set in our thinking. This will be the baseline of our thinking. In reality we are conversing with our judgements, and these are based where we have set our mind. These include our feelings, desires, and fears. We think we are engaging with the reality of what’s happening in our lives but the truth is we are really just having self conversations. We are examining how we think it should play out. We are going over different scenarios on what has been presented to us.
Again, these conversations are not based on reality, yet. Here is where we need to ask ourselves if we were approaching the subject full of faith, setting our minds on the right things, or was it negative. This is also where we can see how our mind thinks or the basic mind-set we use. So what is your mind-set?
Again, our mindset is the platform we springboard off of when we think about something. It is our standard or baseline from which we think and then make decisions. We start there with our self-talk.
Now, does our self talk include God? Does our thinking, our self conversation ask for God’s wisdom? What is our mind-set, what do we dwell on? Is our self talk negative or positive when we think about ourselves? Does it talk to us of something that has already happened, or negatively going to happen.
Setting our minds right requires faith. Faith is seeing the unseen things which come from above. We either look at things which have not happened with God’s view or our negative view. It all comes down to our mind-set. What we set our mind on when we think or dwell on anything will keep us growing or will stifle us and make us complacent. Are we looking at things, rehearsing them in our mind as if they are real as if they have happened? Did they happen with God or just yourself?
We are of course rehearsing in our mind what we perceive as reality. However, is it God’s reality? What He says is always going to be reality, and we need to set our minds there. A good question to ask is how much of God is in your thinking. We need to check ourselves and look at how much of our thinking are God’s thoughts and how much are not. Go ahead and evaluate yourself as to the mindset where you live each day. The good news of the Bible is the Lord tells us where to set our minds, how to think, what we should be talking to ourselves about.
Training ourselves to practice a positive, faith filled, Godly mindset is our duty as a Christian. To think on anything should come from our foundation of His Words first. If it is not reality yet, then we need to talk to ourselves about what we would like to see happen which His Words teach us is possible, this is a Godly mindset and a growth mindset. These Words are like writing a story which hasn’t happened yet. We must train ourselves to write everyday the story of abundant life, after all this is the story He writes everyday.
He wants our mindset to be so alive in Him, creating possibilities which keep us in a faith filled positive growth mindset. We are writing and setting up chapters in our story with Christ.
Jesus has never written a negative story. His stories are about us, others, and circumstances. Anything is possible for us in our life with Jesus leading. What does Jesus want to write today? We need to keep practice talking to ourselves this way, the way the Lord would want it done starting right now. This is what is so powerful about our thinking process, we can change immediately and think differently by setting our minds in the right place. With Jesus being the writer and us learning to read His script, and coming from a mind set on the things above, our actions will follow.
So what is your predominant mindset? Here are a few principles to help with your thinking before you say, “my mind is made up”.
It’s Fluid
Always remind yourself, reality is fluid, circumstances or problems and such so often seem locked in, set in concrete, or as they say, written in stone, and cannot or will not change. However this is so far from the truth, things really are fluid. Just like water can be diverted and change its flow instantly, so can our mindset. Things as we know them change. They change all the time. With the right mindset we can change how we view life everyday. We need to talk about how things can change for the good. If you have lived any length of time you know things around us change all the time. Scripture states the natural is temporary and the Spiritual is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal. TPT
Think of how many things in your life have changed for the good which you honestly didn’t think would. The longer we live the more changes we have seen. Many times I have caught myself saying, “I didn’t see that coming”, meaning I had a preconceived mindset on what I thought the outcome would be, but was genuinely surprised by what did happen. You may also say what about those things that haven’t changed? This doesn’t mean they won’t.
Look at your self talk, what are you telling yourself about these situations? Are you following the Lord’s script, or dwelling on things as if they may never change. We cannot set our mind to dwell this way, it will keep us in a negative mindset.
So the outward natural circumstances can change and will change, nothing remains the same, everything will change given enough time, or you change by deciding to let it go and not let your mind dwell there anymore. Of course things that happened in the past will not change but you can.
Negative outlook of future events may or may not change but I can. We can grow and mature in our mindset by training ourselves to think properly with the Lord’s thoughts using His Words. Our thinking process is fluid and can change instantly, changing our reality. We can do this immediately.
Thoughts are fluid. Don’t wait, start thinking the right way and set your mind on how He wants you to think. Take control NOW.
Control
The energy of control always belongs to you and you make it grow in the right direction. You are in charge of how you want to think and what you want to dwell on mentally. You are and can stay in complete control. Think of your thoughts like a supercomputer. Your mind works on the parameters which you set, of which you and only you are in complete control. All minds work the same, they work on the set of parameters you give them. Set the right parameters. You are the only one who is in control of this. Does not matter what is happening around you, you and only you control what you set your mind on, what you are going to dwell on.
Philippians 4:8-9 TPT
[8] Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.
Philippians 4:8 AMPC
[8] For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
Philippians 4:8 AMP
[8] Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
Philippians 4:8 MSG
[8] Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
Past is Past
You must train yourself to, at all times, let go of negative past events as soon as your mind tries to dwell on them. The second you start to think this way tell yourself immediately, let it go. Let things go. If it is past negative thoughts, stop them right away, do not let yourself dwell on them. Dwelling on these wrong thoughts keeps them growing in your thinking. Quit bringing them up and reliving them by rehearsing them over and over. They are not happening any more so quit dwelling on them as if something will change, it will not. You must move on. Circumstances do not matter now, all circumstances are actually in the past, even up to a second ago is still in the past. The reality of the past is, it really has passed. It’s gone, and whether good or bad cannot be changed. Remind yourself it’s only what’s now that matters. The stronger we adjust and accept this, the greater the now will influence us and the more the past remains powerless. Check yourself as to what you are dwelling on, if it’s the past then let it go.
Eyes Which See
Train yourself to look for solutions and not the problem. Stop focusing on the problem. Problems will come and go but look for solutions and not just dwell on the problem. Setting our mind by dwelling the wrong way on a problem will only magnify it. Even if its beyond your control, focus on how to look at it right now, today.
Put your faith in His ability to give you eyes that see the answers today. The Lord always has an answer, He always has a plan. Teach your mind to think this way. Purposefully look for how His Spirit will lead and guide you away from the situation. This is looking for the solution. He is with us, living with us, He knows the next step. He always knows the right direction. He doesn’t want you sitting around continually dwelling on the problem or situation.
Proverbs 4:18 TPT
[18] But the lovers of God walk on the highway of light, and their way shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
Image
Your self talk is connected, of course, to how you see yourself. If you follow the path of these first four then your image will stay healthy. What you think about yourself is huge to mastering your thought life. Poor self image and insecurities are always a result of negative self talk. It’s you having a conversation about how you see yourself. If your mindset is negative then your image will be as well. Don’t tear yourself down. Set your mind on the right things.
Remember, it can be changed right now. Instead talk about how Jesus sees you, why He saved you. Talk about all the positive things He said about being with Him. Be overwhelmingly thankful for all you do have. Think about all the positive things you have already seen and know to be from the Lord. Let your inward thinking (self talk) be about His love, goodness, grace, mercy, power, and as many attributes as possible which reveal how He sees you right now.
Do not put words in His mouth about yourself. His image is your image. Let His Words be your predominant mindset. As stated before, let Jesus do the writing. Let Him do the talking and allow yourself to rest from wrong words you may be dwelling on. It is the healthiest way to think and sure to keep you healthy. This is how we stay close to Him and this is where He truly can lead and guide us into His image for our lives. Let Jesus Words be the only guideline for your mind to set upon. Let your self talk be what your image is supposed to be and what He says it is to look like.
Colossians 3:10-11
[10] For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God. [11] In this new creation life, your nationality makes no difference, nor your ethnicity, education, nor economic status—they matter nothing. For it is Christ that means everything as he lives in every one of us! TPT
2 Corinthians 5:17
[17] Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. AMP
