Have you ever met someone who seemed to enjoy being sick or being a victim? I have, and I admit I really don’t understand it. In 2016, I learned I had breast cancer. It made me mad (and a little scared) more than anything else. Determined to not be a victim, I began looking for ways to better care for myself – for ways to take charge of my health and not wait for death to take me. Others helped me a great deal (Cheryl Howe for one). It helped that I already had an interest in health-related topics too.
Clearly, people are different in how they approach life challenges. It appears to boil down to mindset. There are at least 2 types of mindsets: Fixed and Growth.
A fixed mindset is when a person does not believe there is anything they can do to control or change their situation. They are resigned to it and feel powerless. They are stuck.
A growth mindset is when a person believes they can grow and change and improve their situation with effort and hard work. These people don’t just “throw in the towel.” They take action. Success is there for those willing to work for it. Success might look different than first imagined, but there is still much that can be attained.
We form our mindsets from our culture, experiences, values, disposition, relationships, among other things. The way you think, feel, and behave impacts success and failure in life. Some time reflecting on these can be beneficial to one who is curious about what mindset they have.
To change our mindset to something more positive, we must first see the need for changing it. Maybe we’re stuck because we have not considered that there are viable possibilities we have not considered to improve our situation. For example, I was not happy about having a double mastectomy, but before and after my surgery, I got some acupuncture to help with the healing process. I also drank tons of healing vegetables via juicing and took lifegiving supplements. Others I know have gotten bariatric oxygen treatments after surgery. I did everything possible to heal quickly, because I believed it was possible to support my body through my actions. Guess what? I healed very nicely and had no complications, which I later learned was unusual. A growth mindset is a wonderful thing! (I didn’t know to call it that at the time.)
What does a biblical mindset look like? God is the giver of all truth and wisdom, so He should be consulted. Talk about thinking “outside the box”! Scripture focuses on mind renewal. In opposition to our natural inclinations, we don’t live for the present, but for the eternal. Cultivating gratitude and joy results in abundant life. Let’s not forget faith (God can do the impossible} and courage (He is with us in tough times – even persecution). We turn our minds to the Spirit and let Him lead us instead of going our own way. Also counterintuitive, God commands us to love our enemies and serve others. Contentment with what God has provided gives us rest and satisfaction.
Our minds must be transformed to include these things as we become more Christ-minded. It happens over time and in small, often indistinguishable, increments as we read and meditate on the Word and choose a growth mindset. We can be changed! PTL! By aligning ourselves with God’s Word, He builds truth, purity, excellence, and beauty within us.
There is some work that needs to be done in me. May God’s Word do its (sometimes painful) work in me! What’s your mindset? Is is a growth mindset or are you stuck? Is your mindset biblical? Developing a biblical mindset is a lifelong quest, but sometimes we can look back and see how far we have come. Let’s grow together in the New Year!
joyce hague
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