“To go beyond the mind you have.”

That’s how this begins.

The Greek word used in Scripture is metanoia. It’s often translated as “repent.” And over time, we’ve reduced that word to mean something small—feel bad, say sorry, move on.

But that’s not what it means.

When John the Baptist cried out in the wilderness, “Repent,” he wasn’t saying, “Just apologize.”

He was saying:

“Go beyond the mind you have.”

Change the way you see.

Change the way you think.

Change the direction of your life.

This is not behavior management.

This is transformation.

Because here’s the truth—every one of us carries things that are not of God.

Habits.

Attachments.

Ways of thinking.

Sin.

And we don’t just do these things… over time, we begin to identify with them.

“I’m just an angry person.”

“I’m just lazy.”

“I’m just not disciplined.”

No. That’s not who you are.

There is something deeper inside you.

There is a lion inside you.

And the first step is this:

Remove what is not of God.

Not manage it.

Not excuse it.

Remove it.

Because you cannot become who you are meant to be while holding onto what is holding you back.

But Christianity doesn’t stop at removal.

It moves to formation.

It’s not just about what you eliminate—

it’s about what you build.

And this is where we come to a word we almost never use anymore:

Virtue.

Virtue is not a personality trait.

It’s not something you’re born with.

Virtue is strength of soul.

It’s who you become through repeated, intentional action.

It’s choosing what is right—again and again—until it becomes part of you.

The Church speaks of four foundational virtues—

prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

They are called the cardinal virtues because everything else hinges on them.

But to make this real—practical—we can start here:

Gratitude.

The discipline to recognize that everything is gift.

Self-discipline.

Doing what you are supposed to do, not what you feel like doing.

Humility.

Not thinking less of yourself—but thinking of yourself less.

Courage.

Choosing what is right even when it costs you.

Integrity.

Being the same person in private that you are in public.

Perseverance.

Continuing forward when it would be easier to quit.

These are not abstract ideas.

These are weapons.

Because every time you choose virtue, something changes.

You are training your mind.

You are strengthening your will.

You are shaping your soul.

You are becoming the man you were created to be.

And that’s the goal.

Not just to avoid sin—

but to become strong in goodness.

To awaken the lion within.

Because a lion doesn’t ask how it feels.

A lion acts according to its nature.

And your nature—your true nature—is not weakness.

It is strength, ordered toward what is good.

So this is the challenge:

Go beyond the mind you have.

Identify what is not of God—and remove it.

Then begin, deliberately, to build virtue.

Not all at once.

But one choice at a time.

Because every small decision matters.

Every act of discipline.

Every moment of courage.

Every choice to do what is right—

That is the lion rising.