It’s common knowledge that our diets directly affect the health and working of our bodies. And while we may not eat right 100% of the time, most of us try to do what’s best for our bodies overall. Unfortunately, we aren’t always as careful with what we feed our minds. And it shows – not only in our view of the world, but also in our spiritual health.
What we put into our minds shapes our thinking. The way we think directly affects our character and behavior. For instance, if we repeatedly and exclusively hear society’s view that God’s teaching on sexual relationships is outdated and waiting for marriage is ridiculous, then we are likely to have sex outside of marriage. But if we learn about God’s perfect design for sexuality and marriage and accept His Word as timeless truth, it’s more likely our behavior will line up with that thinking.
What We Think about Matters
What our culture considers “good, moral, and acceptable” is a far cry from the truth of God’s Word. When we watch, read, and participate in things out of line with God’s truth our thinking becomes desensitized. As our thinking shifts and conforms to the world our character and behavior will follow.
The Bible shows the direct correlation between the way we think – our worldview – and our spiritual well-being. (See also, Do you have a Christian Worldview?)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2, ESV
The Greek word translated as “renewal” in the ESV in Romans 12:2 means the “adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon the life.” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.)Â Basically, as we study God’s Word, His truth reshapes the way we think, aligning it with God’s. As our thinking aligns with His, His Spirit shapes our attitudes, motivations, and behavior to match Christ’s.
A Challenge to Evaluate Your Brain Food
Only the Holy Spirit can transform us (Titus 3:5), but we can cooperate with His work by feeding our mind with truth. Let’s ask God to show us where our thinking is out of line with His truth. Let’s ask Him to renew our thinking and transform our spiritual health. And let’s cooperate with Him in practical ways.
God’s Word tells us to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Could these characteristics describe the things you’re allowing into your mind?
Want to be spiritually fit? Start by honestly evaluating what you’re allowing into your mind. Use this downloadable worksheet BRAIN FOOD to evaluate the “food” you’re feeding your mind and how it may be shaping your thinking. Be as honest and as comprehensive as possible.
If you long to breakdown a secular worldview and build a biblical one, respond to what you discovered when you filled out the BRAIN FOOD worksheet. Consider these questions:
- What things on your list do you feel have the most negative impact on your thinking?
- Does God want you to reduce or eliminate any of these?
- How can you manage your time to include more time filling your mind with God’s truth
Feeding Your Mind with Spiritual Health Food
 Ready to start “renewing your mind” but aren’t sure how to get started? There are countless ways to feed on the truth of God’s Word, but here are a few to get you started:
- Read the Bible regularly
- Listen to God’s Word (sermons, podcasts, audio Bible, etc)
- Memorize Scripture
- Meditate on Scripture
- Join a Bible study group – I lead one on Facebook I’d love for you to check out. “Reading the Bible Together.”
- Listen to worship and praise music while you work or drive
Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of change? Be patient with yourself. Just like it takes time and determination to improve our physical condition, our spiritual maturity doesn’t happen overnight. Ask God and other Christians for help and accountability.
I’d love to help! My website is packed with free Bible study material and discipleship tools like Bible reading plans, quiet time tips, Scripture memory helps, and prayer helps. Check out the Free Resources page.
What other ways you can think of to feed our minds with the truth of God’s Word and override the lies from our culture?
Your words are so true. I agree with what you wrote:
“The Bible shows a direct correlation between what we put into our minds and our outward actions.”
I remember memorizing Romans 12:1-2 as a youngster and it’s stayed with me throughout the years.
I just purchased your new book for my Kindle and look forward to reading and studying it.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Hi Debbie! Romans 12:1-2 is such a great example of how true and deep God’s Word really is. Modern scientific studies prove the spiritual principle that what we put into our minds affects our attitudes and behavior. God tells us to guard our hearts and minds for our good and His glory! Thanks for letting me know about your purchase of “Embraced by Holiness.” May God use it to draw you closer to Him!
I am so grateful to have made your acquaintance last week. I love this blog post. I love your Bible Study. I NEED to devote much more of my time to God and prayer. I know that my life will be so much better if I make God the centre of my life.
Because I have been a lonely Christian for so long, without any Christian friends, support, or community, I have really let my faith life go. I’ve been really fretting about it of late.
I think God has brought you in to my life just when I needed to find you, Kathy. Thank you!
I totally believe that what we feed our brain is very, very important. I do get confused as to what movies and books are pleasing to God since so many have swear words, pre marital sex etc.
Hi Abigail! I’m thankful God crossed our paths! I pray you find this site and the Bible reading group to be greatly encouraging!
This article is truly a blessing. Whatever a person’s mindset is will dictate their behavior…. That’s why it’s important to renew the mind with God’s word daily. If we don’t, it becomes easy to follow the crowd and do what they do even if it goes contrary to the word of God.
Stay blessed woman of God.
Rhonda, thank you for coming by. You are so right about the importance of staying in God’s Word daily! Thank you for sharing.
When you said to list every way we can feed our minds with the truth of God’s word, so many things came to mind. Since reading “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman, I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit in not only the things I feed my mind, but the impression I leave with people…… my actions, my reactions, the way I dress, my make-up etc. No more low cut tops. When watching TV, it is like I have no interest in shows that God would find distasteful. I SURROUND myself with Christian music, always SO uplifting. I pray often. Actually, I just talk with God through the day!! I read the Bible, God’s instruction book! I read several devotional books like “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young and “Freedom for His Princess” by Sheri Rose Shepherd . I attend church at Ridgedale Baptist. I try to surround myself with Christian friends. Still, I struggle. God never said the path would be easy, but He did say it would be worth it !! <3
Hi Kelly, thank you so much for sharing this about yourself. It’s obvious God is working in your life! I love what you said about the path not being easy, but being worth it. May we all remember that today!
Amen Kathy! I wrote a devotion on Romans 12:2. We should renew our minds daily with God’s Word so we can discern the will of God. If we clutter our minds with junk, then we will produce junk. Garbage in, garbage out. 🙂 Thank you for your stand on this issue. It is a very important one that many won’t talk about.
Hi Heather! Thanks for coming by! God has really been emphasizing to me recently how important right thinking is in our spiritual transformation. So we must be very careful about what we allow to fill our minds.
I think the hardest thing is not so much avoiding the obviously ungodly stuff, but the stuff that’s mild in comparison, but is carried on the current of worldly thinking. A lot of the time I don’t want to read or watch anything serious. I just want mindless entertainment. It doesn’t seem bad, but I’m disturbed by the amount of time I spend on it vs reading/studying God’s word. I also spend too much time alone. I’m hoping to remedy that, yet there is always that fear that I’ll be disappointed by a lack of interest in me or worse, I’ll pour my heart into people only later to left behind. How many times have you tried to build a friendship only to see that as soon as someone new comes along, you’re not so interesting anymore? I guess I fear the pain of loss, yet at the same time I know that if I don’t give myself away without the thought of return, I will be like the man who buried his talent and will be ashamed at the coming of the Lord. And I don’t want that. I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Yikes, this is what I get for reading The Vines Of Yarrabee, an utterly depressing book of disappointment, rejection, and loss. Time to read a little of God’s Word, then watch a little of Green Acres.
Diane, you are so right about the “mild in comparison” things. We usually become desensitized by inches at a time, not yards. I certainly can identify with you on the “mindless entertainment” versus the amount of time I spend in God’s Word. Let’s keep encouraging one another and spurring one another on to good works!
I’ve been down a road similar to Job and the more I’ve struggled the deeper my love for God has grown. My path is more mental than physical. I was diagnosed with shizophrenic after taking my own life when I was 17 and I died for 3 minutes then God brought me back. I play alot of video games and sometimes I feel this is how I’m using my second chance God has given me but i truly believe my faith in God one day can move mountains JESUS IS LORD thank you and God bless your soul Kathy
To Kelly — I do not want to come across the wrong way, but I do want to encourage you to be careful with those devotional books. I’m linking to a review about “Jesus Calling” that I hope will be helpful.
https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/jesus-calling