Change is a part of life; it’s widely acknowledged that anything that remains unchanged can result in stagnation. However, change means facing the unknown, and some people shy away from it because leaving behind old, familiar habits can be scary and painful. When we realize that wrong-thinking has hindered us from moving forward in our lives, we may be more willing to embrace something new. A change of heart and mind will transform us from the inside out.

We can’t change ourselves; we need God’s help to do this. When we got born again, the slate was wiped clean. We became new creations in Christ, and our past no longer matters to Him. However, if we are to completely break free from old behaviors and thought processes, we must shed our “old man.” “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

Putting off our old selves involves changing the way we think. It’s similar to re-programming old, outdated software that no longer works properly to give us the output we want. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). Renewing our minds is a lifetime process, but it’s worth making the commitment. When we let God’s Word re-shape our mindset and attitudes to conform to His will, we’ll begin seeing amazing results.

We may have grown up thinking that our flaws and shortcomings were simply a part of who we were, but now we have a chance to change for the better. The world tells us no one is perfect; we can move past what the world says when we accept God’s Word on who we are in Him. “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28). A change in our way of thinking allows us to accept our new identities in Christ.

We are not our bodies, and we are not our actions; we are spirit beings possessing souls and living in physical bodies. Our spirits immediately became perfect when we got born again, and they’ll stay that way no matter how often we sin. Therefore, we must stop basing our identities on what we do, and start basing them on what Jesus already did. “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23). Our justification comes from Christ, not from anything we do.

It isn’t God’s will for our old thought patterns to keep us from moving toward the future He has planned for us. A change of mind leads to a change of heart, which in turn leads to a change in behavior. “…Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?” (Romans 2:4, AMPC). We’re delivered from our past and redirected to something much better when we accept Christ’s love and forgiveness. Therefore, we don’t have to be afraid to accept who we are in Him.