Become Like Jesus:

Renew The Mind

WHAT Does It Mean to Renew the Mind?

To renew your mind means to allow God to change the way you think so that your thoughts align with His truth and His ways. It’s not just about learning new information—it’s about internal transformation that leads to a new way of living.

Romans 12:2 says:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Renewal of the mind is how God transforms us from the inside out so we can live like Jesus and discern His will in every part of life.

WHY Renewing the Mind Is of Utmost Importance

1. Because You’re Always Being Formed by Something

You are either being shaped by the world or being transformed by the Word. There’s no neutral ground.

Renewing the mind helps you resist passive formation by the world and pursue intentional formation into Christlikeness.


2. Because Right Thinking Leads to Right Living

How you think determines how you live.

Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32)—but it only sets you free if you know it, believe it, and live from it. Renewing the mind brings lasting freedom by replacing lies with truth.


3. Because It’s the Path to Discernment and Maturity

According to Romans 12:2, it’s only after the mind is renewed that you can truly “test and approve what God’s will is.”

HOW to Renew Your Mind: A Biblical and Practical Guide

Renewing the mind is not a quick fix—it’s a daily lifestyle. It requires intention, dependence on the Spirit, and a hunger to know God’s truth. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Examine Your Thoughts Regularly

“Take every thought captive…” – 2 Corinthians 10:5

Practice Tip: Start a “thought journal” for one week. Write down thoughts that affect your emotions or behavior, thoughts that reveal your motives,  and evaluate them in light of Scripture.


Step 2: Identify and Reject the Lies

Ephesians 4:22 calls us to “put off the old self, which is corrupted by deceitful desires.”

Lies often sound like:

These lies often come from wounds, habits, or cultural messages.

Practice Tip: Ask, "What is this thought producing in me—peace or fear? Freedom or shame? Faith or anxiety? If it doesn’t line up with God’s truth, reject it."


Step 3: Replace Lies with God’s Truth

“Be made new in the attitude of your minds… put on the new self.” – Ephesians 4:23–24

Examples:

Practice Tip: Make a “Truth Bank” of 5–10 key verses to meditate on daily. Speak them out loud and personalize them in prayer.


Step 4: Invite the Holy Spirit to Lead the Process

“The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6

Renewing your mind is not willpower—it’s partnership with the Holy Spirit.

Practice Tip: Pray: “Holy Spirit, renew my thinking. Lead me into truth. Shape my thoughts so I can live like Jesus.”


Step 5: Make Renewal a Daily Rhythm

Renewing the mind is ongoing. The world keeps pressing its pattern, so you keep choosing transformation.

Practice Tip: Schedule “renewal breaks”—just 5–10 minutes mid-day to reset with a verse, prayer, or worship song. Over time, your mind will default to truth more naturally.

Renew Your Mind Summary

To renew your mind is to…

Why it matters:

You can’t live a transformed life with an unrenewed mind.

But every time you say “yes” to truth and “no” to the world’s lies, you become more like Jesus.

Renew The Mind Bible Verses