Father, I do praise you for the truth about Jesus that will one day be realized fully by everyone who has ever lived. May my life display that truth in the way I treat people today. May my lips suitably proclaim that truth so others can know Jesus as Lord today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I love the fact that I do each day what everyone will one day do: bow before the majesty and proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ to honor the Father's glory. How wonderful it is to be able to make that proclamation because of grace rather than in fear at the end of a life that has been spent in what is rebellion, denial, and waste.
Regardless of how the words of the Apostle Paul are translated into modern English, the message remains the same: Disciples of Jesus are to have exactly the same mind-set, the same attitude, that Christ Jesus had.
We are meant to think like Christ.
The problem is we are not perfect in our thoughts or our actions. For a Christian to keep their thoughts and heart in alignment with God’s will and purpose takes real effort. To maintain a godly perspective in a this sin-sick world is difficult but not impossible.
Having the mind of Christ is more than just having a positive attitude, it is being spiritually minded, it is focusing on living as God has called us to live, it is a mind focused on God, Christ first, us second.
It is not possible for someone who is unsaved to have the mind of Christ, to truly think like Jesus. Because of the effect of the fall, each of us are born with a mind that tends to be focus on three things - Me, myself and I.
From the time of our natural birth, it’s all about us and what we want. As babies, we cry to get attention. As children and teens, we moan and complain to get what we want. As adults, we learn all kinds of techniques to get our way.
Romans 8:6 says “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Holy Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”
When we are born-again, when we come into a real relationship with God by repenting and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then our focus in life changes. The Holy Spirit works within us and our focus is no longer on Me, Myself and I - God is our focus, God is our purpose, God at the center of all we say and do.
Consider the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17, This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Having the mind of Christ involves abandoning our own will and ego, putting others’ needs ahead of our own, humbling ourselves to serve God even when it means personal sacrifice.
When we come to Christ, we are to think differently and to live differently. Our old sinful, self-centered life has gone, our new life with God at the center has begun.
We won’t be perfect till He calls us home and takes us to Heaven, then we will truly be transformed and be fully like Christ. But, right now, we are meant to try and be as much like Jesus as we can:
to think like Christ;
to love like Christ;
to have compassion like Christ;
to act like Christ;
to have the attitude of Christ;
to have the humility of Christ;
to have the servant heart of Christ.
Jesus is our perfect example of what it means to be a humble, self-sacrificing, self-denying, servant of Father God. Jesus willingly placed Himself in the humblest of positions: He who was God became a man, fully human, so He could serve others. Jesus has given us the perfect example of how we should live and think as His disciples.
Be honest, how Christlike are your thoughts?
How Christlike are your actions?
How Christlike is your daily life?
Do you have the mind-set, the attitude of Christ in every aspect of your life?
What needs to change?
Are you willing in obedience to God and with the help of the Holy Spirit to make those changes in your life?
Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments and join us in prayers. GOD BLESS YOU!!