Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s close this week’s theme with a mind reset.

In today’s scripture, Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT), the Apostle Paul testifies…
[13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Consider…
If you have ever traded in a cell phone or been locked out, you have had a factory reset performed. What’s interesting about a factory reset is the phone doesn’t change, but it’s settings and memory are reset to their original design.

When I read the Apostle Paul’s testimony in today’s scripture, I envision a spiritual reset. I see that because Paul said he was forgetting what was behind and pressing towards what lies ahead.

When we get off track, we too need a spiritual reset. We need to forget…

• old thinking
• old behaviors
• old attitudes
• old self-sufficiency
• old ungodly relationships
• old habits

But, like we learn from the Apostle today, it’s not enough to just forget how we used to be, we need to press towards becoming what God wants us to be.

Whenever I think of turning to God, I think of repentance. However, according to Oxford Languages dictionary, the verb repent means to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.

That definition makes no mention of turning. This distinction gives clarity to Matthew 3:2 (NLT) where John The Baptist preached…
[2] “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Notice JTB, said repent and turn.

I believe the vast majority of us have no issue with feeling or expressing sincere regret for our sin. But based on JTB’s mandate and Paul’s testimony, sorrowful expressions aren’t enough. In fact they only serve as the impetuous to change. Turning to and pressing towards God is the change.

Here’s the deal, repenting is important because it initiates the mind reset necessary for us to change. It restablishes God’s control of our lives.

The Holy Spirit just showed me that everyone was conceived in sin. And although sin is in us, we have a choice to live in it. That’s why Romans 12:2 (NLT) tells us…
[2] 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.

Do you see it? God transforms who we are by resetting how we think. God’s mind reset returns us to His originally created infrastructure. It erases all of the corrupted system updates that were bloated with Malware that consumed more of our memory.

The Holy Spirit just flashed a thought, if you find yourself recoiling less and less to sin or responding slower and slower to the Lord, you may need a Spiritual reset. The scripture below this thought was Romans 8:5-8 (NLT) which explains…
[5] Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. [6] So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. [7] For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. [8] That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

You see we are born with limited and innocent thinking. The only thing we crave are the necessities to live. And what’s even more aligned with God’s original design is the fact that babies are wholly dependent on their parents to care and provide for them. However, as a baby grows into childhood, and ultimately adulthood, they are taught to become independent and self-sufficent!

The Holy Spirit just further blew my already blown mind. He reminded me of what the Serpent told Eve in Genesis 3:4-5 (NLT)…
[4] “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. [5] “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The devil told Eve that she wouldn’t need God, and He is still saying the same thing to us. Satan says be independent and self-sufficent.

The Holy Spirit reiterated this is one of Satan’s main strategies by also reminding me what He said to a famished Jesus in Luke 4:2-3 (NLT)…
[2] where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. [3] Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.”

Notice the devil tempted Jesus by telling Him to take care of Himself rather than depend on God.

The Holy Spirit is emphasizing that if prevailing thoughts of independence and self-sufficency are top of mind, then you’re in dire need of a Spiritual reset.

God is doubling down on the importance of our understanding the importance of who verses what controls our mind. In Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT) we’re exhorted…
[16] So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. [17] The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

Notice there’s a continuous battle going on for our thoughts, because they dictate our pursuits which dictate our behaviors. James 1:14-15 (NLT) explains…
[14] Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. [15] These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

This is possibly why the Apostle Paul wrote Galatians 5:24-25 (NLT), which says…
[24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. [25] Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

I keep hearing the need to purge, cleanse, and forget old corrupted programming to allow God’s original programming to take control of our lives and transform us into who He wants us to be.

I am still struck by Paul saying that he’s forgetting what’s behind. And just like that the Holy Spirit showed me why, it’s because the last fruit of the Spirit produced is self-control.

Maybe you have heard the old addage that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Well, similarly the Holy Spirit can lead us to righteous living but He can’t make us live righteously. Sinful or righteous living is our choice, and it’s a matter of who/what we give control of ourselves to. Paul’s forgetting is him exercising self-control to let go of all of his independent and self-sufficent, ungodly thinking. And pressing towards the mark/standard of Jesus Christ is him exercising his self-control of letting the Holy Spirit lead him into holiness like He did with Jesus!

Today, choose to forget your independent and self-sufficent thinking and press towards Jesus’ standard by following the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Song is…
Take Me Back

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)