One of the greatest challenges we faced in transformation is to change our eclectic mindset. It is basically the art of choosing what we accustomed to, what we already believe and what we are already doing. I called it an art because we do this so subtly and so unknowingly that we ourselves can go unnoticed. Like it or not, we see what we want to see, hear what we want to hear and do what we believe only. As such, even when we read the Bible, we may not ‘see’ all of the text. When we listen to God, we may not hear everything that God wants to say. When we obey God, we may also be selective to just follow what is comfortable for us.
Our minds are always in a constant process of choosing. We tend to choose those images, words or pictures that our minds are familiar with first. This is the same for our beliefs. We tend to choose those that match our current beliefs. We choose those that are easy to accept and do first. Leaving those ‘new’ and difficult things to the last. As such, we may actually select those commandments that are easy for us to follow first, while putting the rest aside. We can possibly fool ourselves and even try to fool God by just doing those things we are good at while neglecting the rest.
As Christians, however, our obedience is not selective. God expects us to love Him with our heart, with our mind, with our souls, and with our strength. He calls for a total allegiance. Therefore, even those beliefs that match ours must be checked. We must understand that we are not finding concepts in the Bible to conform to our thinking but rather to make our thoughts submit to the Word of God. Every thoughts should be tested with the Scriptures. There is always some differences between our thoughts and God thoughts, between our ways and God ways. Our Christian beliefs is never a buffet to go and pick only those that we like. It comes as a whole, not a piecemeal. If so, it would be easy for many of us for we would be able to continue to live our old lives without the need to change.
Many of us are not aware that we have this eclectic worldview. As such, we continue to find what fit us rather than being shaped by God. We continue to find what is easy to accept and easy for us to do. We still live in our own framework. But to live for Christ, we have to deny ourselves, carry our cross and follow Him. We need to dethrone ourselves, even those of which are familiar to us. We no longer adopt a eclectic mindset to ‘buffet’ the Word of God, but to accept the Word as it is in a neutral state and let it speak to us as God wills it to be.
Let us seek to transform this eclectic mindset. Let us not left any thoughts untested just as we do not leave any stones unturned. We need to constantly take captive of our thoughts and make them submit to Christ. We are to dethrone our own thoughts and ways so as to receive Christ as the sole Master of our lives.