Let’s Get Practical

“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind…” Ephesians 4:23 (AMP)

After writing last week’s blog, “The Smoke Has Cleared,” I found myself asking the same question many others do:

What does that actually look like?

It’s one thing to talk about renewing our minds. It’s another to live it.

I’m learning that spiritual renewal isn’t complicated—but it is intentional. God does the renewing, but He invites us to make space for it. Just as Donna opened the windows once the smoke cleared, we open our hearts and minds so the Holy Spirit can do what only He can do.

Here are a few steps I started putting into practice this week…

1. Start my day with God’s voice.

The first voice I hear often shapes my day.

If I start with headlines, I carry the world’s weight before my day gets started. If I start with social media, I drift into comparison or distraction.

But when I begin with God’s Word, everything shifts. His truth becomes my lens.

The world doesn’t need the first word over my day. God does.

2. Don’t believe everything I think.

I’m still learning this one…

Not every thought comes from God. Some come from fear, past wounds, or discouragement. Some are simply wrong.

Paul says to “take every thought captive.” That means I can question my thinking.

When I hear, “You’ll never change,” I ask, “Does that sound like Jesus?”

Truth exposes the lies we’ve quietly believed.

3. Practice gratitude every day.

Gratitude doesn’t remove problems—it reshapes perspective.

I can be concerned and still be thankful.

When I thank God—for His faithfulness, provision, family, or even small moments—my heart shifts.

Gratitude reminds me: God has been faithful, and He will be again.

4. Be careful what I feed my mind.

Our minds reflect what we consume.

Feed on negativity, and negativity grows. Feed on fear and outrage, and they shape your thinking.

The opposite is also true.

Fill your mind with God’s Word, worship, and truth, and your thinking becomes healthier.

Just like the body, the mind reflects its diet.

5. Make room for silence.

This has become crucial for me.

We live in constant noise—phones, news, music, notifications. Something is always demanding attention.

Sometimes God is simply waiting for us to be quiet.

Some of my clearest moments with Him come when I stop talking and start listening.

Silence isn’t empty.

It’s where God speaks.

6. Choose my companions wisely.

Attitudes are contagious.

Spend time with cynical people, and cynicism feels normal. Spend time with people who trust God, and their faith strengthens yours.

We don’t walk alone.

God often renews our minds through people who remind us of His goodness.

7. Pray before I react.

I’m still learning this on too…

My instinct is to respond quickly—to defend, fix, or worry.

But I’m learning to pause.

Before the email…

Before the call…

Before the words I can’t take back…

I pray.

That pause has saved me from regret and helped me hear God before I respond.

8. Never forget who I am.

This may be the most important.

Paul says to put off the old self and put on the new.

My identity isn’t defined by past failures or present struggles.

It’s found in Christ and who He calls me.

I’m not trying to become someone God might love.

I’m learning to live as someone He already does.

That changes everything.

One Final Thought

Renewing your mind isn’t an event.

It’s a lifestyle.

One Scripture at a time.

One prayer at a time.

One surrendered thought at a time.

One act of obedience at a time.

Most days won’t feel dramatic.

But over time, something changes.

What once stole your peace loses its grip.

Fear no longer has the final word.

Old lies begin to fade.

Why?

Because the Holy Spirit is quietly renewing your mind.

And one day you’ll realize… you’re not just thinking differently.

You’re becoming different.

That’s what God has wanted all along.