Think Like God (Part 2)

[ Preached by Pastor Kenneth Chin at Acts Church Malaysia on 15 September 2019 ]

Why is it so hard to think like God?

Think about it! We’ve been thought to think in a certain way, make decisions in a certain way, consider certain thoughts as better than others – since the day we were born. In short, we’ve been conditioned by the world, to think like how the world thinks and act in a manner that’s acceptable by it.

When we’ve received Christ into our hearts and now desire to think as our Father thinks, a radical shift must take place.

Read | Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

That’s right, our minds must be renewed and subsequently transformed, so that we gauge what is good and acceptable according to God’s standards – not the world’s!

Some of us may already be confused by this. How would you begin to unravel any way of thinking, particularly one that’s been etched into our minds over the years? Here are some thoughts that can help guide you along.

1. What controls your mind? 

If the mind controls the body, then what controls the mind? All of us know that the mind is the most invaluable part of the body, without it, nothing can function to its fullest potential. It guides the locomotion, emotion and direction of our very selves. Hence, its content – every thought or decision – is the most powerful commodity.

This begs the question: what are we feeding our minds?

Even the world knows and teaches this. You have wellness gurus going around telling you to think happy thoughts. You have wealth teachers telling you to build a money-minded and opportunity mindset to achieve your billion-dollar dreams.

As God’s children that strive to think like our Father, are we feeding our minds with the thoughts written in His book of life?

When we’ve received Christ into our hearts and now desire to think as our Father thinks, a radical shift must take place.

2. Be self-aware of your limitations

Imagine your mind as a car that’s been designed to accelerate to 200 km/h. But somewhere in between, we’ve installed an alarm that shuts down the engine when we hit 100 km/h.

What are these limitations? It could be a traumatic past that has stopped you from pursuing your dream. It could be your upbringing that has told you that you’ll amount to nothing. It could be past failures or hurtful words from loved ones that now stop you in your tracks.

These limitations have been set in place to prevent us from getting hurt even more. But if we adhere to them, we’ll never grow. A muscle that isn’t constantly pushed or stressed beyond its limit will never have the incentive to grow.

Likewise, if we choose to listen to the limitations within our mind, instead of the voice of a limitless God, we’ll forever be stuck in our set ways of thinking. To me, the failure of not taking the first step is greater than any failure that may result from our attempts to change!

3. Make today’s ceiling tomorrow’s floor

When we first started AYA, we only occupied one floor. Even getting that first floor was so difficult, because most of our people were still students at that time! But by trusting God and adopting His way of thinking, we continued to grow. Soon, we took the second floor. Then the third. Then the fourth, fifth and eventually we had seven floors.

Brothers and sisters, this is what makes “thinking like God” so powerful. It forces us to confront and subsequently abandon two negative reactions to the ceilings in our life:

• The “cannot lah” reaction: This happens when we cannot see any way or possibility in the situation. We give up, we throw our hands up in the air and we give in. 

• The “nevermind lah” reaction: We can see the possibility, but we either don’t dare or can’t be bothered to step into it. Apathy doesn’t just hinder our success, it also tells God that we don’t care.
  
  

By focusing – and caring – about what God thinks, we shift away from our thinking and all the limitations associated with it. We move into a healthier mindset that’s centred on trust, faith and belief – that our God will guide us to greater things ahead. 

The mind guides the locomotion, emotion and direction of our very selves.

4. Be careful of the enemy’s lies

Even as we strive to think higher thoughts, remember that the devil will always attempt to stop our efforts and block us in our transformative journey.

Read | Genesis 3:4
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” 

God tells both Adam and Eve that they will die if they eat of the apple, yet the enemy tries to turn God’s clarity into doubt, ambiguity and uncertainty in our minds.

This shouldn’t surprise us. The devil is okay with us living – and thinking – however we want, as long as it’s not aligned with God’s intentions. The devil is happy with us living a life of “maybe” or “probably”, as long as we don’t take that step toward our testimony.

How would we prevent this from happening? By purposefully allowing God – not the world or the Devil – shape your thinking. Fill your mind with Scripture, which are His promises, and live a life that’s driven by faith and not our understanding.

Only then can we can live according to God’s thinking, and not the devil’s lies. 

#decadeoflegacy2030

Written by Victor Lau
Edited by Hailey Chung