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Pointers along the way #56

The way we think
- Jacob Ninan

Bad things happen to both good and bad people. When they happen to us we have a choice of how we will react, with complaining, questioning, blaming and cursing that we are tempted to, or in a good way. We have all reacted badly in the past, and because of repeated action some of that has become a way of life for us. It is almost as if given a certain set of circumstances it can be predicted how we would behave. If we now want to become godly, we have to learn to react in new, godly ways that we are not used to.

Jesus said that when we know the truth, it shall set us free (Jn.8:32). In other words, if we learn the truths concerning who God is, how God Himself behaves, who we are, what makes us behave the way we do, how God wants us to behave in different situations, how we can become able to behave as God wants us to, etc., that will help us to be free from wrong ways of reacting to bad situations, and to become godly.

Of course Jesus did not mean just knowledge in our head. The more we learn these truths, the more we set our heart on becoming godly, and we seek God more to change our lives into His image. Bible study is important, but so is prayer, and so is fellowship and every other means of receiving grace.

Our old ways of reacting to bad situations and people used to lead us into more unhappiness, confusion, tension, anxiety, discouragement, depression, anger, malice, etc. These feelings would then lead to some bad words or actions from our side, and it would become a vicious circle. Now we need to learn how to break this circle and get on to the way of godliness.

Paul talked about the need to be renewed in our mind in conformity with the new birth Jesus has given us (Ro.12:2;Ep.4:23;Co.3:10). Let us not think that it will happen automatically, but seek God actively for it.

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