When we become Christians, we accept God’s gift of salvation, and God works in us to make our nature more Christlike. It’s a lifelong process - we won’t suddenly become Christlike overnight. But we still have to make an effort to meet God and make changes in our life. And to make those big changes, first we have to change our thinking. That’s not easy when we’ve spent our lives thinking a certain way. Changing our thinking needs discipline and determination, but it’s worth it. The fuel we put into something determines its performance. Imagine you owned a racehorse - if you only fed it cheap, poor quality food, you couldn't expect it to win races. It's the same with your mind. You have to feed it the best things you can. The things that enter your mind repeatedly will shape it, control it and in the end, they’ll show themselves in what you do and who you become. Our minds absorb and reflect whatever they're exposed to. The events we attend, the relationships we build, the materials we read or don’t read, the music we listen to, the images we're exposed to, the conversations we engage in, and the thoughts we have will shape our minds, and eventually our characters and our future. The Bible says, ‘Don't copy the behaviour 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 NLT).

What now?
Start each day this week by reading Philippians 4:8 and Romans 12:2, then ask God to help you fill your mind with thoughts that are ‘excellent and worthy of praise’.