One of the attributes ascribed to the faithfulness of God who is Spirit is the quality of being 'unchanging'. "Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19)
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow" (James 1:17).
What is meant by being of 'changing mind'? It is to change an initial decision, which was conceived in truth, in pursuit of personal benefits. You may think that it is because you are genetically disposed to not be good at sticking to your resolution, or that you are easily tired of something, or you are quick to give up. However, you can cast away this habit of 'changing' by faith in the Lord when you receive the Spirit's help and God's grace and strength. Three tips are presented here that will help you to remove this 'changing mind' that hinders you from growing in spirit.
TIP1 Don't be quick or careless in making a decision that is a result of the atmosphere, circumstances or emotional state.
Some people say that they would do something as a result of the atmosphere or emotional state of the moment. But they didn't keep their word or regretted having spoken it. If you are one who usually talks a lot or often makes jokes, you should check if you carelessly say things that come out of your mouth. You must not say something that you cannot keep. In doing this, you can avoid 'changing'.
Those who often change their minds and break promises made to others as well as those they make with themselves may even break their promises made to God. Psalm 15:4 reads, "In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change." Numbers 30:2 states, "If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." Every word you say or everything you decided to do in front of God must be kept.
To be able to always keep your word you should carefully think deeply over what to say and then say it. James 1:19 reads, "This you know, my beloved brethren but everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger." If you practice the way to be guided by the Spirit with careful thought, you can avoid making mistakes in your words.
TIP2 Be steady and unchanging in carrying out your resolution.
To achieve something, you need to carry out your resolution by your deeds. The best way to develop an unchanging mind is also to carry out your decisions firmly by your deeds. Your habit of changing your mind is caused by the attribute of changing. Furthermore, the habit of changing causes the growth of the attribute of changing your mind.
Therefore, you should make a habit of being unchanging by carrying out your resolutions steadily step by step. Suppose you didn't read a chapter of the Bible each day as you decided. So now you decide to read thirty chapters a day. If you set such a high goal, it is more likely that you will just fail to keep it and change your decision again. In this case, you should start by setting an attainable goal, such as reading a chapter a day. As you steadily do so, you may be able to read 30 chapters a day later. This process is applicable to casting away any sinful nature. You should pray to cast it away and show deeds until it is completely thrown away. However, some may pray and act to cast it away for a while but stop in the middle. They may pray again and try to cast it away. This way, they move from doing and undoing repeatedly. Then, they cannot cast it away.
To cast off this changing mind, therefore, you should be consistent and steady in doing something, no matter how small it is. Then, you can foster self-control, which monitors and regulates yourself, and it can be applied to every part of your life.
TIP3 Don't lose heart and give up in the middle.
Suppose there are two people who made resolutions and moved ahead with them. But, in the middle they failed to keep to it. One person went back and tried to achieve it again, while the other just totally gave up. The results will be very different. In the same manner, if you give up in frustration in the middle of the course of becoming sanctified, you cannot achieve it.
If a marathoner gives up in the middle of the race, he cannot complete the course nor win the gold medal. By the same token, you cannot go to heaven if you give up along the way. But as long as you don't give up, you can go to heaven and even take it to a better dwelling place in heaven. Thus, you cannot say that because of your 'changing mind' you cannot achieve things. It is just because you give up in frustration. Therefore, you should quickly cast off the habit of giving up.
The attribute of the changing mind is revealed in various forms such as lack of determination, impatience, betrayal, and slyness. The root of such attributes is the changing mind. Thus, you must cast it away to enter spirit.
A small seed takes root in the ground and grows to become a big tree. It is the same with the 'changing' attribute. If you find some characteristics that result from your 'changing' attribute putting down roots, you must cast them away and never give up in the middle.
1 Samuel 15:29 says, "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." Let's become truthful children of God by casting away the lying heart and changing mind.
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