I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.- Romans 12:1-2
I had anxiety issues growing up, and still have some anxiety attacks to this day. When I was in high school I could dependably have an anxiety attack from 7AM through to 10AM. It made gym class especially difficult. I don’t like bringing this up too much. It’s not shame, I am not ashamed of any of this. But I’m not looking for sympathy. My struggle with anxiety is one I have large control over now, by the grace of God.
But I suppose my experience with anxiety is a major reason why I distrust my own desires and thoughts. I experience my mind as quite literally broken and in need of healing. I am still, at times, given to irrational and generalized fear. It makes perfect sense to me why Paul would charge us to be transformed by the mind’s renewal. Paul is not saying that if we think happy thoughts or engage in the right practices that we may renew our own minds. Pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps. Paul had a similar experience with his own mind. “I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” (Rom. 7:18-19) This is not the confession of a man with control of his faculties. Rather, Paul is saying that when we submit to Christ, make of our lives a living sacrifice to him, that God will renew our minds.
Our first cooperation with God is to let him do his work. It is not within us to control our own thoughts or own desires. Our thoughts and our desires are broken by the domination of sin. And sin is most powerful in our lives when it is disguised as good and pleasant works. Such as the individual who tries to pick themselves up by their own bootstraps, make themselves a better person, but in all their habit forming and diligence fails to lay it at God’s feet. But it is the good pleasure and love of God to heal our thoughts and desires. We are given opportunity to practice that healing. But it is first, and foremost, the gift of God. It is first, and foremost grace.
Our minds can be renewed, but that renewal is in the first and last instance the work of God.