I love uncovering the timeless principles that have shaped the lives of countless believers and propelled them towards finding their purpose in life, finding their passion and fulfilling their callings in God – by the power of the Holy Spirit.
No matter how old or how young you are, I believe you are standing on the threshold of endless possibilities. Possibilities to draw closer to God than you ever dreamed of, possibilities to touch peoples’ lives and bring them help and hope, to help them find and experience the Lord for themselves.
Our world is in a season of pessimism and anger and hopelessness. And, without God, there is absolutely no hope or reason to think anything will get much better. The world promises freedom, excitement and optimism, but it can’t deliver.
I believe that a life that is successful in God isn’t limited to a chosen few but is AVAILABLE to anyone who will pursue Him with passion, perseverance, and purpose.
True success in life is more than just material wealth or professional accomplishments. It is about living a life of purpose, balance, and fulfillment—a life where day by day you’re led by the Spirit of God. I pray that you uncover your true calling, develop your gifts and create a legacy that will endure for future generations.
And none of that will happen without developing a faith mindset. Or an attitude of faith. An attitude of faith. How do you do that?
Point one is, put the right things into your mind, and exercise your mind on godly things. God says in Philippians 4 verse 8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
If you’re going to have a faith that works and is effective, you’ll need to determine how you’re going to think, and what you’re going to think on. You can’t let your carnal friends, or the news or social media direct your thoughts. You have to invite the Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts. Each day, when you wake up, spend a few minutes inviting the Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts, to guard your mind, to put a guard over your mouth and to guide each step you take. That’s an everyday thing.
If you’re going to cultivate a mindset of faith, you’ll need to be intentional about the thoughts you allow to occupy your mind. We live in a world that bombards us with negativity, doubt, anger, outrage and fear. However, as believers, we are called to rise above the limited patterns of this world and enter into the realm of faith, and be thinking the thoughts of the Kingdom of God, to be thinking the thoughts of a born again, overcoming child of the living God.
In Romans 12 verse 2, the Holy Spirit instructs us about this, saying, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to experience, to try it for yourself, and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Our thoughts in many ways shape our reality, and a faith mindset is the foundation where your success in the things of God is built. A faith mindset is a mindset, an attitude, a way of thinking that is based on God’s word, the bible.
Renewing your mind isn’t just a once and done kind of thing. It’s an ongoing process. We need to bring our thoughts into line with God's word and cast down, or discard any doubt and unbelief that hinders or limits God’s working in our life. You want to let the Word of God to saturate your mind and reshape your thinking. Meditate on His promises, think on His faithfulness, and let His word permeate every area of your life.
Point number two is surround yourself with godly influences. You can’t be engaging in doubt and unbelief and the expect to be strong in your faith. If you’re going to have a faith mindset, you’ve got to surround yourself with positive, godly, faith-filled influences. That word, “influence comes from the word “fluent,” which means flowing, as in you might say someone is fluent in speaking Spanish, meaning they flow in it. And of course, the word, “in.” An “influence” is anything that you allow to flow into you. What you see, flows into you. What you hear flows into you. What you experience through your other senses flow into you.
Choose your companions wisely, choose the people you hang out with, as much as you have a choice. The people around you can either lift you up or bring you down. They can accelerate or hinder your faith and your spiritual growth.
Seek out those people who inspire and encourage you, those who believe in what God has as your potential, people who edify you, who encourage you and pray for you. Hang out with them and communicate with them as much as possible. Pay attention to the conversations you engage in and the media you look at or listen to – avoid the ones that are negative, fear based, those that try to get you outraged or filled with anger and division.
Point number three is to walk by faith, or to engage actively in a faith mindset, on purpose each day. Having a faith mindset isn’t about denying the existence of problems, or negative things or negative people. It isn’t denying that there are challenges and setbacks. You’re not sticking your head in the sand and denying what’s going on around you. No, it's about walking by faith and not by sight, like God says 2nd Corinthians 5:7.
Walking by faith means that you don’t go by how things do appear in the natural, but by how they are when God is actively involved in your life. That’s what gives you that resilience and the ability to bounce back, to get back up again when you are knocked down. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, you focus on the lessons that you’ve learned and the opportunities for growing, so you won’t be defeated the next time. Your mind is transformed by the word of God to see setbacks as stepping stones towards success and as opportunities for personal development.
Number four is to practice gratitude. Part of having faith is an attitude of thankfulness for the blessings and the opportunities in your life. It’s about recognizing the hand of God in your life, no matter what you’re going through. Praising God and being thankful shifts your focus from lack to abundance. It shifts you from indulging in self-pity and moves you to appreciation. That faith mindset opens your heart to the possibilities that God has set before you and puts you in position you for greater blessings.
Number five is, invite the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and align them with God's plans and purposes. As you offer your mind to Him, He will renew it and will transform it according to His good, pleasing, and perfect will, like it says in Romans 12 verse 2. The Holy Spirit will empower you to think heaven’s thoughts of faith, of courage, - the Bible says that the righteous are bold as a lion, in Proverbs 28 verse 1. And He will lead you into victory, enabling you to overcome any obstacles that ae in your path or try to block your way.
Having a faith mindset is a day-to-day thing. It’s a lifetime practice. It takes discipline, humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God – like he says in 1 Peter 5, verse 6 and 7 – listen to this – humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, or at the right time, when you’re ready for it – casting all your cares or problems or worries on Him, because He cares for you.
Strengthening your faith means that you feed your faith – faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God, like it says in Romans 10, verse 17. It means making intentional choices, instead of letting other people and the world make them for you. And then there’s believing, trusting an relying on God's truth and the guidance from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Keep your thoughts under the rule of the Spirit of God and surround yourself with godly and edifying influences. As you plant the seed of the word of God in your heart, as cultivate a faith mindset, you'll experience a remarkable transformation that will propel you forward rapidly into the center of God’s will and the things that He has planned for you from the foundation of the world.