To become an effective witness for Jesus Christ, He must first renew your mind. This process of renewal means letting go of old beliefs and harmful attitudes. But renewal of the mind requires you to apply godly principles in your life. These principles, established by God, guide us in truth and righteousness. The purpose of these principles is to complete, protect, perfect, sustain, and inspire us, building us up in every way. God's principles bring life and overcome death. Without them, you cannot thrive as a witness of His truth. They provide the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding needed to navigate life’s challenges. Embrace these powerful principles today, and transform yourself into an effective witness for Christ.
Having a God Hunger
When you develop a hunger for God, you'll no longer crave or thirst for the things of this world, which are influenced and controlled by Satan. A genuine longing for God will extinguish any desire for fleshly pursuits. You will stop nurturing the wrong passions of the flesh and instead cultivate the right passions of the Spirit. As believers, you must be zealous. An intense zeal for God leaves no room for divided loyalties—you will be entirely devoted to Him. When God has your undivided attention, Satan loses his influence over your life. He knows that if you are fully committed to God, his schemes will have no hold on you. Therefore, one of the most powerful ways to defeat Satan and resist his worldly influences is to commit your soul to God fully.
A person with a hunger for God has an appetite for all things concerning Him—a deep desire for His Word, His ways, and His purposes. If you hunger for God's Word, deceitful or harmful words will not sway you. If you crave His ways, you won't desire paths that don't reflect His character. And if you long for His purposes, you'll value His counsel above yours or anyone else's. I encourage you today to hunger for God—seek His knowledge, walk in His ways, and pursue His plans for your life. Develop a taste for Him; crave Him. Once this hunger for God takes root in your heart, nothing else in this world will ever satisfy you again. As Matthew 5:6 declares, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Here's an illustration: Imagine a man with a deep craving for his favorite food. He longs for it, seeks it out, and finally eats it; he feels full and satisfied. Afterward, he doesn't desire another bite—at least, not until he craves it again. In the same way, this is how God wants us to seek and relate to Him. We are full and satisfied when we partake of His presence and Word. And when we are full of Him, we won't crave anything that opposes Him, His Word, His ways, or His purposes.
A person who hungers after God has a great passion for Him, which keeps them aligned with Jesus Christ. Passion is an intense, overpowering emotion or desire (as defined by Webster's Dictionary). Whatever you feel most passionate about will be what you pursue the most. You can measure your love for God by your passion for what matters to Him. Your passion for God and His Word reflects your dedication to Him and His work. God desires us to be passionately committed to Him, placing Him as the highest priority in our lives. That's why He said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God…" (Matthew 6:33). When our passion for God is so great, nothing and no one else will truly satisfy us.
Consider the example of the Apostle Paul. Once a persecutor of the Church, Paul developed a profound hunger for God (Philippians 3:1-10). He transformed his zeal for tearing down the Church into a passion for building it up. Paul's greatest desire became to know Jesus Christ more intimately and thoroughly. He craved Christ and resolved to be filled with Him, desiring to possess everything that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul's life demonstrates how a hunger for God can completely transform a person.
Be Patient Through Challenges
When facing challenges, it’s essential to approach them with calm endurance. Complaining or losing control won’t make them disappear. Instead, patience strengthens us as we persevere.
Fundamental principles to remember during challenges:
Let God guide your actions (Matthew 26:38-42). Surrender your will to His, trusting in His purpose.
Don’t flee from challenges (Psalms 11:1-4, 7). Running away only delays growth and breakthroughs.
Face your challenges head-on (Psalms 27:1-3). Courage in adversity strengthens your spirit.
Believe in your God-given strength (Romans 8:37). You are more than a conqueror through Him.
Seek divine and professional help when overwhelmed (James 5:13-14). You don’t have to carry the burden alone.
Trust in God’s power to deliver you (1 John 4:4; Proverbs 3:5-6). His strength is more significant than any obstacle.
Rejoice in your trials (Romans 5:3; 2 Corinthians 2:14). Triumph comes through perseverance.
Challenges can be beneficial for the human spirit. They often reveal the creativity God has placed within us. I have realized that my most significant accomplishments usually emerged from my most challenging trials. For instance, I wrote several books amidst difficult circumstances, including The Power of Faith. Though I experienced the temptation to give up, I couldn’t—too much was at stake. My faith in the Most High, who specializes in refining us as pure gold, kept me grounded.
There are countless people God has called me to impact, and keeping the faith is essential. Going through those difficult moments pushed me to write The Power of Faith. This book, born out of my journey, became a source of strength for me and others, especially during tough economic times and moments of personal pain and discouragement. My challenges led me to tap into my untapped potential, and they can do the same for you.
So, don’t let challenges intimidate you. Embrace them confidently, knowing that once you overcome them, they will propel you toward greatness.
Reflecting Christ's Image
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
In this verse, “beholding” refers to mirroring oneself—it means God calls us to see ourselves reflected in the image of Jesus Christ. The word “glass” translates to “mirror,” and “the glory of the Lord” refers to the character and ways of God revealed through Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul is teaching that we must reflect, like a mirror, the nature and character of God. Our lives should be a portrait of Christ so that when others observe our attitudes and behaviors, they see the likeness of God’s character in us. God calls us to bear His image (1 Corinthians 15:47-49).
Reflecting the image of Christ empowers us to rise above fleshly attitudes and treat others as Christ would. This image reflection means the righteous character we display overshadows the worldly traits. For example:
When we walk in love, there is no room for hatred.
Grudges fade away when we walk in forgiveness, and we, too, will be forgiven.
Walking in peace, we become peacemakers instead of stirring up conflict.
When we walk in joy, the spirit of depression has no hold on us.
Fear of the enemy and his schemes will not dominate us when we walk in faith.
Embracing the image of Christ reveals our true identity in Him—we are new creations in Christ Jesus. He transforms our innermost being. The Bible declares that in Christ, we are made perfect and incorruptible. We are born again, renewed day by day through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:16). God’s character now resides within us (Ephesians 4:24), and it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to delight in Christ’s teachings as we meditate on them daily (Psalm 1:1-3).
This essence is the new nature God desires to see more of in us and the nature He wants the world to see. The more we display our new nature, the less our old, corrupt self will emerge—the nature that was left behind after we were reborn.
Faith Nugget: If you are a believer who is not yet walking fully in the image of Christ, remember this: You are no longer your old self, so stop living as you are (Colossians 3:8-10).