Whenever God gives me the opportunity to minister to others through His Word, there is always one special Bible verse I like to share – one verse that has the power to change the lives of every man, woman, and child I meet:

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

I’ve found that if you truly want to live a transformed life – if you really want to lead a life that’s pleasing to God – you’ve got to change the way that you think!

In order to be an agent of change in our culture, we need to:

• Stop listening to the world and the humanistic ideas propagated by our culture.
• Stop trying to fit in by pleasing our non-Christian peers, co-workers, and school mates.
• Start making a conscious effort to actively take control of our thought life.

The Bible contains a lot of principles that can help us take ownership of our thoughts. For instance, the Apostle Paul gives us this important piece of advice:

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

So, how do we put these biblical principles into practice? How do we renew our minds so that we can start thinking like we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)?

I find it helpful to follow this three-step process:

1. Monitor and control the thoughts you allow to enter your mind.

   Pay close attention to your actions and daily activities as well. For instance, are you watching television shows that are filling your head with worldly thoughts? If so, change the channel or, better yet, turn off the TV set! Are you listening to music with ungodly lyrics? Play worship music instead! Are you hanging around people who are dragging you down? Surround yourself with friends who will lift you up, inspire you, and sharpen you like iron (Proverbs 27:17).

2. Identify any thoughts, beliefs and ideas that you hold that are in contradiction with Scripture and replace them with God’s truth.

   At first, it may seem that this is easier said than done, but with God, through prayer and faith, all things are possible!

   For instance, do you believe that you are unlovable because, in the past, someone has spoken negative words over you? By learning what God says about you, you can counter and replace that negative belief with the truth of God’s Word. Here’s just one example of a life-giving Scripture you can use to counter the lie that you’re unlovable whenever that untruth pops into your head:

   I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. – Jeremiah 31:3

   The more you put this into practice by choosing to believe God’s Word and walk in His truth, the sooner you will change your entire perspective and outlook on yourself and your life!

3. Learn the Word of God – meditate upon it – store it in your heart.

   Let God’s Word become an intrinsic part of your life. Let Scripture become so deeply ingrained inside of you that it automatically shapes your thoughts, guards your heart, and influences every decision and action you make in your life. Abiding in God’s Word is integral to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

A friend recently confided that she longs to store more of God’s Word in her heart but she’s finding the process of traditional Bible memorization quite challenging. Learning verses by rote causes her mind to tense up, making it difficult for her to retain new material.

Coloring is a Great Scripture Memorization Tactic

Since learning God’s Word should be a joyful event – the highlight of our day – I shared that one of the things that helps me to meditate, reflect upon, and memorize Scripture without doing mental gymnastics is coloring my favorite Bible verses!

Coloring Bible verses helps our mind to relax so that we can joyfully focus and reflect upon the verse that’s before us. Coloring makes it easier to learn and remember each verse because we are thinking about how it applies to our lives. The act of coloring also imprints the words of each verse on our minds.

One Bible that is perfect for helping us learn God’s Word in this manner is the new NIV Inspiring Words Holy Bible: 52 Verses To Color. There are several things that I particularly like this Bible. First, the editors have hand-picked 52 of the most inspiring verses in the Bible for us to read, meditate upon, and store in our hearts – one Bible verse for each week of the year! Second, each Bible verse has its own dedicated page – it’s not relegated to the margins – so you can give each verse your full attention as you reflect upon it!

The NIV Inspiring Words Holy Bible is a wonderful Bible for moms, teen girls, and young women who want to meditate on and memorize God’s Word in the year to come!

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Your Turn

What is your best tip for helping others to memorize Scripture? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Editor’s Choice:

Our Favorite Coloring Bible for Christmas this Year!