One of the podcasts I occasionally listen to is The Transformative Leader Podcast. The host often says to “behave your way into a new way of thinking.” Being the Bible nerd I am, naturally I asked myself, “How does this apply to discipleship? Or does it?”
When I started looking into this, I didn’t know if this would be a circular argument, so I kept an open mind. I had some preliminary ideas, but wanted to allow Scripture to speak for itself without imposing my own meaning into it.
Jesus’ thoughts on the subject
The first passage I found that discusses both thought and behavior is Matthew 22:36-40:
But when the Pharisees heard that [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
In the two greatest commandments, the first priority is loving God with our heart, soul, and mind. Second is loving our neighbor. Both commandments are important as they are the summary of all 613 commandments in the Old Testament. However, it is significant that Jesus said the “greatest and first” commandment is to love God and that loving our neighbor came second. We cannot love our neighbor to the degree God calls us to without first loving God.
When Jesus says, “love your neighbor,” the Greek word used for love is “agape,” which is a verb. Loving our neighbor is a love in action – this type of love is not an emotion. Here we see that our thinking changes first when we love God with our mind (along with our heart and soul). A change in our actions or behavior follows a change in our thinking.
What does Paul have to say about this?
Romans
Romans 8:5-8 is another passage that supports our thinking changing prior to our actions:
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
At first glance, this one may seem like a bit of a stretch. However, in his commentary on Romans, James R. Edwards notes that in the original Greek the word translated “thought” conveys “the idea of the sum total of inner dispositions, literally a ‘mindset’ that leads to a goal.”[1] This implies the mindset of the Spirit occurs prior to meeting a goal, and goals are only met through actions. Therefore, in this example, our thoughts again change before our behavior.
A few chapters later, in Romans 12:2, Paul tells the church “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We see here that the renewing of our mind will transform us and that we will discern God’s will. In Edwards’ commentary on Romans, he agrees that “transformation by God begins by the renewing of your mind.”[2] Again, we see our thoughts must change prior to behavior.
Letters to other churches
Further evidence is found in Ephesians 3:2-5a: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” Real transformation begins with our mind. Our minds must change first. It is only then that we can change and “put to death what is earthly.” We cannot truly change our behavior unless our minds have first been remade.
Paul again confirms that thinking changes prior to actions in Philippians 4:8 when he says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” If we set our minds on these things, our behavior will follow.
Conclusion
In my research, I found no evidence that we can “behave our way into a new way of thinking” in our spiritual lives. In fact, every passage of Scripture I found supports the opposite – that it is our minds that change first and then our behavior follows. To borrow the language from the podcast, we think our way into a new way of behaving.
I am not completely disagreeing with the recommendation that people “behave their way into a new way of thinking.” That idea is intended to be part of a leadership philosophy and I am looking at it through the lens of discipleship. Whether or not this idea is accurate in the realm of leadership is for someone else to decide. However, it made me think, and it gave me something to research in Scripture which I found interesting. I hope it has also provided you with some food for thought.
If you find any Scriptural evidence to support the “behave your way into a new way of thinking” philosophy, please let me know in the comments! I look forward to seeing what you may find.
Please check out The Transformed Life of a Disciple for more on this topic.
[1] James R. Edwards, New International Commentary: Romans (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1992), 204.
[2] Edwards, 285.
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