Develop A Kingdom Mindset

As we commence this journey, I want us to address a topic vital to our current situations and the outcomes we can receive. Mindset! Why? Because you are a product of your thoughts and beliefs. Your mindset and contents of your heart spill out in your words, decisions and actions. As Jesus aptly taught, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). What you have fed your mind with over the years has become the lens through which you view life. How you behave and respond to the issues of life is largely influenced by your mindset.

What is your take on wealth, for instance? Do you think towards abundance or scarcity? Do you have a slave mindset, hoarding resources and believing you may not have enough? Or do you have a son's mindset that your Father will ultimately guide and supply? If you cannot perceive God as your good Father and all-sufficient King who wants to prosper you, you live in worry and scarcity. Your approach to God in prayer and your very relationship with Him are influenced by your image of Him.

The children of Israel, having lived through harsh slavery for several, found it difficult to believe God. The ten miracles and plagues God worked to get them out of Egypt should have convinced them that He had their best interest at heart. But the harsh treatments of their slave masters had so registered and set in their minds that God was another Pharaoh to them. So, a journey of 11 days to the Promised Land of abundance turned into 40 years of wandering as God tried to get Egypt out of them. For some, our mindsets are opposing the very things we are asking God for in prayer. Like the Israelites, we resist, provoke and limit God because our minds stray from His works, promises and ability (Psalm 78:40-43). Some feel breakthrough, healing, restoration, holiness or influence is possible for others, but not them.

In some societies, even in the church, we sometimes focus unduly on what the enemy's cohort of witches and wizards can do. The fear-driven messages and prophecies of doom misdirect many to spend precious time in unproductive thoughts, activities or places. Neglecting the vital message of God's transforming love which positions us for a rich and satisfying life, we wallow in insecurity of what the devil can kill, steal or destroy (John 10:10). Like the servants in Jesus' parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-29), we are so eager to uproot tares that we are destroying or missing out on the wheat, the good stuff. If you don’t review and change such beliefs, you cannot outgrow the limitations they pose.

Just as it takes great effort to rework a concrete mix once it sets, you require a tool of great power to change a mindset (a mind that is set) - truth. The mix of ideas and beliefs we have learnt from our associations, processed, entertained and allowed to set in our minds - whether positive or negative - can only be altered or refined by consistent exposure to and belief in God's truth. To undo the strong neural pathways formed by old ideas, we must form healthy neural pathways by renewing our minds in truth.

You are free to choose what you believe but you bear its consequences. Jesus came to usher in a new Kingdom with new possibilities for you. What beliefs do you hold about wealth, marriage, childbirth, holiness, calling or purpose? Is your mindset limiting you from or advancing you into God's best in various aspects of your life? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify mindsets He wants you to renew. To get the best out of this journey, write out the impressions He gives you, note the truths He leads you to, engage His power through prayer and receive His help to transform your mind for the better.