If You Want to Change, Start with Your Thinking

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Life's Healing Choices - The Beatitudes

If You Want to Change, Start with Your Thinking By Rick Warren — Aug 11, 2016 “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT, second edition). Change requires new thinking. In order to change, we must learn the truth and start making good choices, but we also must change the way we think. The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act. If you want to change the way you act, you start by changing the way you think. In addition, if you want to change the way you feel, you must start with the way you think. For instance, you can say, “I need to love my husband more,” but that isn’t going to work. You can’t fight your way into a feeling. You must change the way you think about your husband, about your kids, about your wife. That will change the way you feel, which will then change the way you act. The Bible says, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes” (Ephesians 4:23 NLT, second edition). The battle for sin, the battle to deal with those defects in your life that you don’t like, starts in your mind. If you want to change anything in your behavior or anything in your emotions, you start with your thoughts and your attitude. The renewal of your mind is related to the word “repentance.” I know repentance is a dirty word for a lot of people. They think it means something bad, something they don’t really want to do, something painful. They think of a guy standing on a street corner with a sign that says, “Repent! The world’s about to end!” Repentance is about more than changing your behavior. It is about changing your mind and learning to think differently. “Repent” simply means to make a mental U-turn. You turn from guilt to forgiveness. You turn from frustration to freedom, from darkness to light, from hatred and bitterness to love. You may also need to change the way you think about God. He’s not mad at you; he’s mad about you! You’re deeply flawed, but you’re deeply loved. Start with your mind, and change the way you think about your relationships, the economy, the world, and your past, present, and future. Changing the way you think will then affect your emotions and your behavior. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Where can you get the power to make changes that you don’t think you can make on your own? Why do you think repentance is required for the renewal of your mind? How do you need to change the way you think about your most important relationships? Our Gift: Life's Healing Choices Study Kit Based on Jesus’ very own words in the Beatitudes, this DVD and workbook guides you through eight critical choices that every wounded believer must make in order to experience wholeness, happiness, and healing. These essential decisions will build your trust in God even when you don’t understand his plans and your circumstances look hopeless. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Life's Healing Choices - The Beatitudes teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: ​​The Reality Choice Message 2: ​​​​​​​​​​The Hope You Need For Change Message 3: ​​​Letting Go and Letting God Message 4: ​​The Transformation Choice Message 5: ​The Growth Choice Message 6: ​​​The Sharing Choice Message 7: Breaking Free From Abuse PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe