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How to Experience God’s Wonder by Renewing Your Mind

  • Whitney Hopler Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
  • Updated Aug 21, 2023
How to Experience God’s Wonder by Renewing Your Mind

The mind God has given you is a treasure. So, it’s vital to take good care of your mind. If you do, you’ll be able to perceive the wonder of God’s work in your life clearly. 

Your thoughts lead to your attitudes, which lead to your actions, which then shape your entire life in either positive or negative ways. Therefore, it’s important to choose positive thoughts that lead you to reach your full potential. You’re bound to encounter negativity every day in our fallen world. But you have help from God himself available to renew your mind day by day. The Holy Spirit is ready to help you renew your mind in any situation. 

When you renew your mind, you can understand God’s will, which reveals the wonder of God at work. Romans 12:2 exhorts: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” As you cooperate with the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, you’ll develop nine distinct positive attitudes that the Bible calls “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23. Each of those fruit of the Spirit can lead you to wonder by showing you more about what God is doing in your life and the world around you. 

Key Bible Verses about Renewing Your Mind

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

“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.” – Philippians 4:8 

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5 

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” – Ephesians 4:22-24 

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” – Colossians 3:10

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” – Romans 8:5-6 

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” – 1 Peter 1:13 

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 2:5 

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” – Romans 15:5 

“… But we have the mind of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 2:16 

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.” – Isaiah 26:3 

Tips to Help You Discover Wonder by Renewing Your Mind

The Holy Spirit will transform you as you renew your mind, empowering you to experience God’s wonder more. Use these tips to renew your mind with the Holy Spirit’s help:

Start a regular habit of praying for mind renewal. Every day, ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind so you can grow in holiness by developing the fruit of the Spirit. Whenever you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts, pray in those moments for help transforming how you think. Ask for God’s guidance so you can see each situation in your life clearly and notice how God is at work. Let that knowledge inspire you with awe!

Pursue love. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you love God, yourself, and other people more, and to put love in action.

Pursue joy. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you increase your awareness of God’s presence with you so you experience joy in all circumstances.

Pursue peace. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you discover the peace of mind that only Jesus can give you.

Pursue patience. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you be more patient and avoid rushing past the wonder God wants you to notice.

Pursue kindness. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you be more kind – not just through random acts of kindness, but by intentionally choosing kind words and actions every day.

Pursue goodness. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you make good choices by seeking God’s wisdom and acting on that guidance by applying it to your life.

Pursue faithfulness. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you be as faithful as you can in your relationships with God and other people.

Pursue gentleness. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you speak and act with gentleness, which is a sign of spiritual strength and spreads God’s love.

Pursue self-control. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you control your thoughts to keep your thinking healthy and aligned with God’s will. 

Learn more in my book Wake Up to Wonder about how renewing your mind with the Holy Spirit’s help can lead you to experience God’s wonder.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/primipil 


headshot of author Whitney HoplerWhitney Hopler is the author of the Wake Up to Wonder book and the Wake Up to Wonder blog, which help people thrive through experiencing awe. She leads the communications work at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Whitney has served as a writer, editor, and website developer for leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA’s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She has also written the young adult novel Dream Factory. Connect with Whitney on X/Twitter and on Facebook