We have recently observed the 500th celebration of the Reformation. October 31st marked 500 years to the day since Martin Luther tacked his 95 theses on the door of a church in Wittenburg, Germany, initiating one of the greatest modern movements in all of history. A shift of magnanimous proportions that changed forever how people saw God and saw themselves.
After Luther’s Reformation had begun and believers experienced a newfound freedom, Luther traveled to examine its fruit, and what he found was not encouraging. There was profound ignorance of God’s word or any understanding or experiencing the benefits of the Christian faith. Luther responded by creating his greatest work, “The Large Catechism”. It was an effort to help the common believer to experience the truth of the Gospel.
The church today is not in the same crisis, but it is in no less similar a state. Most believers find themselves bereft of most of the benefits of God’s kingdom. This was all reinforced after I gave a lecture at a college campus. I found myself trekking across the auditorium toward the exit when my stroll was interrupted by the sound man. He almost meekly interrupted, “Wow, what a great lecture. I was so inspired, but…I don’t think that works for people like me. I’m not sure I can have abundant life like that.”
In an attempt to interpret his comment, I interjected, “I know God can, I just don’t know if he will for me?” His head nodding affirmed I understood him. “I want to…” he said as his voice trailed off.
It’s a story I’ve seen play out over and over again. If God promises an abundant (super abundant in everything, superior in quality, excess, extreme, more than enough) life for us. Then why aren’t more Christians experiencing it?
Is success elusive or is there something we don’t know? Why is it that what I say I believe doesn’t manifest in my life? Is there something I’ve overlooked for success, prosperity, and having the abundant life that Jesus promised?
The answer is yes!
There is a missing ingredient that is key to everything in the kingdom of God. It’s heart beliefs. American has reduced truth to cognitive mental assent. We somehow think mental assent is a belief, when it is only recognition of what might be a truth.
Listen to what scripture asserts for your life, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7).” In other words, whatever is a dominant thought in your heart, that’s what you’re going to do. Not maybe. Not possible. Not probably. It’s what you’re going to do. The question becomes how do I establish heart beliefs?
THE MISSING INGREDIENT TO YOUR SUCCESS
The underlying and undergirding truth to heart beliefs is Romans 12:2, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
“Conforming” is something you do to your life. It is behavior modification – it work sometimes, but more often than not, you have a short burst of energy before falling back into status quo, settling for the way things have always been.
However, transforming is something God does to you. When our thinking becomes a heart belief, it creates a permanent belief that solicits the manifestation of the kingdom of God. Conforming (change) comes from the outside in. Transformation comes from the inside out. The former is most often temporary, and the latter creates a long-lasting, permanent heart belief. Dominant thoughts (heart beliefs) control your destiny. Heart beliefs are the missing ingredient to your breakthrough in life.
Like Luther 500 years ago, there’s a need for training to reposition believers from change to transformation. To go from cognitive believers who give mental assent to fleeting dreams to people who have heart beliefs and go from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory. Stay tuned in these next weeks to learn how to go from frustration to fulfillment of your dreams and manifestation of the kingdom of God.
