Ponderings: Our Mindsets
The last several months, I've had discussions with business owners, life and career coaches, ministry leaders, friends, and online acquaintances. The specific ones I'm pondering today all have one thing in common - they want to help people "change their mindsets" about various issues like mindsets about food to help you become healthier, mindsets about poverty to help you become wealthier, mindsets about business to help you become more successful or more powerful.
After the third time I heard the phrase "change your mindset" the bell finally dinged in my head. Normally, when the Lord speaks to me, I get a specific word for phrase three times in a row, fairly close together (like within a week or two). But this mindset phrase happened over a period of six to eight months, so I didn't notice it right away.
When I did, the phrase began to trouble me, and I wondered why.
There's nothing wrong with being healthier, wealthier, or more successful. Those are all good things. It's the changing of the mindsets that's so troubling, because of the methods used to do so. Their goals aren't really to change our mindsets to make us healthier, wealthier, or more successful, but to change our mindsets in the way we do those things - changing our mindsets to buy into the programs they are selling. Some of the programs exhibit cult-like qualities.
The Bible has a lot to say about our minds. (The word 'mind' is used 167 times in the NASB.) Because of this, when I see someone wanting to change my mindset, I must ask questions.
The first question I ask is if this new mindset they're wanting me to acquire is of God or of man? Then I ask more. Could the mindset be considered false teaching? Does this new mindset cause temptation to sin? Does the new mindset contradict itself? Does it contradict Scripture or make promises that contradict Scripture? Is the purpose of the new mindset rooted in pride?
We live in perilous times. We must examine everything thoroughly (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and we must be discerning about what is good and right. Some things may look great on the surface, but when you dig deep, you'll find otherwise. We can't be complacent.
Christianity is under attack, and the enemy likes to divide and conquer Christians. If we allow man to change our mindsets to worldly ways, instead of allowing God to change our mindsets to His ways, we give the enemy a foothold into our lives and into our minds.
Be alert. Study those who are trying to change your mindset. Pray. Ask for the Holy Spirit's discernment. Let God be the one changing your mindset to where He wants it - not where the world wants it.
