A New Mind

Matthew 3:1-3

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. (Matthew 3:2, NIV)

IN THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Luke Skywalker landed on a swampy planet in search of a master teacher. The first creature he met turned out to be Yoda, the teacher he was looking for, but Luke didn’t know that at first. Instead, he saw a small, odd character who was getting on his nerves. Once he learned Yoda’s identity and submitted to his teaching, Luke had to go through a change in mind-set to access the power of the Force. He needed a whole new way of thinking.

The Force is not God, of course, and we won’t be working on any telekinetic powers in our discipleship. But like Luke, we will need to transform our minds in order to walk in the power of God’s Kingdom. The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, emphasizes this change in thinking, and though the Gospels certainly urge us to repent of our sins, the call goes deeper than that. It includes a renewed mind, a radically different perspective, a revolutionized way of seeing the world. It involves stepping into God’s counterintuitive ways and learning to think his thoughts. If we don’t embrace that change of thought, we will not be able to see the Kingdom or experience its ways.

The implications are varied and enormous, but they include no longer seeing ourselves as victims of the world, feeling like life and circumstances are conspiring against us, and always being under problems instead of over them. It means taking God’s promises seriously, even when they don’t seem realistic. It means actually believing that, in Christ, we walk in God’s favor, are worthy to receive his blessings, and can expect victories over the kingdom of darkness and the ways of the world. It means we have to learn to live by faith and not by sight.

You will need a new mind for that, but the good news is God has promised to transform your thoughts if you will let him (Romans 12:2). With a renewed mind you will not only be able to walk in the power of God’s Kingdom but also see what the world needs. And you will be equipped to give it freely.

{Jesus, you are my master Teacher, and I want to think like you. Change how I see, teach me your ways, and fill me with the gift of faith. Let my repentance transform everything. Amen.