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My almost two-year-old son, Luke, is fascinated with trucks and trailers. If we’re out driving around and an 18-wheeler drives by he exclaims, “Truck with trailer ON IT!” At home, he connects all the vehicles, train cars, and trailers he can–he loves it!

Our life often works much like a truck and trailer. Our life, much like a trailer is to a truck, is pulled in the direction of our thoughts and habits.

That’s why Paul, a first-century church planter, wrote this about our thoughts: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

The culture around us and the nature in us pulls our life in a direction that does not honor God, but by renewing our minds (thinking differently in alignment to God’s truth) we are transformed by God into new people.

This year I have begun a new habit of reminding myself each morning of specific things from the Scripture about who I am–it has helped me renew my thoughts and God has used that to transform me more and more into the person He desires me to be.

I challenge you to try a similar habit. Identify some things that you need to be reminded of each morning, write them down, and read the list before you get your day started. It will change your life!

Below are some ideas to get you started. Categories include comparison, relationships, language, attitude, ambition, sex, money, worth, and worry.

Comparison

1. I am content with what I have because my strength comes from Christ—not my status or stuff.
   I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:12-13)
2. I am not mad when others are successful or happy; nor am I happy when others lose, stumble, or fail.
   Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)
3. I celebrate and encourage those who are farther along than I am.
   Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. (James 3:16)

Relationships

1. I will do for others what I wish they did for me.
   Do to others as you would like them to do to you. (Luke 6:31)
2. The love I show people will be patient, kind, not jealous, not proud, not rude.
   Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. (1 Corinthians 13:4)
3. I don’t demand my own way. I am not irritable. I do not hold the forgiven past over anyone’s head.
   [Love] does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. (1 Corinthians 13:5)
4. I will help others be who God desires them to be.
   As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:17)

Language

1. The words I speak will be acceptable to God.
   May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
2. I will not let foul or abusive language come out of my mouth. I will always build people up.
   Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29)
3. My words will not cut down but will heal.
   Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. (Proverbs 12:18)
4. Obscene talk is not who I am.
   Now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. (Colossians 3:8)

Attitude

1. I will have the same attitude as Christ.
   You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:5)
2. I do everything without arguing and complaining so that no one has grounds to criticize me or the God I serve.
   Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. (Philippians 2:14-15)
3. I will fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
   Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)
4. I put on my new nature and am being renewed through knowing God my Creator more deeply.
   Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. (Colossians 3:10)

Ambition

1. I seek first God’s kingdom above all else—everything else is secondary and is in God’s hands.
   Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6:33)
2. I will not trade my values or family to make it.
   What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? (Luke 9:25)
3. I will stay humble and will not be arrogant.
   Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12)

Sex

1. I run from sexual immorality. It’s not just a sin against God; it’s a sin against myself.
   Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
2. I honor marriage and don’t treat sex as common.
   Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. (Hebrews 13:4)
3. My mind will be pure because I won’t mentally undress people made in the image of God.
   I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

Money

1. I am free from the love of money and I am satisfied with what I have.
   Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
2. I will not make myself a servant to lenders.
   Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)
3. I don’t store up treasures here on earth but in heaven. I focus my life on Christ.
   Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19)
4. I am generous because I truly believe it is more blessed to give than to receive.
   I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Worth

1. I am a wonderful part of God’s workmanship.
   Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:14)
2. I know God redeemed me at a high price.
   God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
3. I am God’s masterpiece. He is making me new in Christ Jesus to do good things.
   We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10)

Worry

1. I can’t add an hour to my life, but I know who can.
   Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matthew 6:27)
2. I will not worry about anything but will pray about everything. I will be thankful to God as I express my needs. This will give me God’s peace—a peace beyond what I can understand. God guards my heart against worry.
   Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
3. I give God all my worries because God cares for me.
   Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7)

This list is by no means conclusive. Personalize it as God reveals his truth to you.

Copyright © 2020 by Stephen Castleberry  @ https://stephencastleberry.wordpress.com/author/smcastleberry/ >. Used with permission. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org.