Having the mind of Christ
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9
Our minds are amazing problem-solving machines. The human brain is responsible to many inventions. It has been an ever-widening scientific wonder. The human mind invented the wheel and discovered fire. The potential of the human mind is limitless for it can even possess the mind of Christ. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). This is attained through the working of the Holy Spirit within. “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” (1 Corinthians 2:15-16). We can troubleshoot like no other creature. But that can be a problem sometimes. If we think about fixing wrongs too much, we can forget to remember the good things that have gone right. Our minds can become unbalanced. Too much time focusing on negative issues drag us into critical thoughts and behaviors. We have to pay attention to our chain of thoughts. They reveal our true beliefs that influence our actions. As James said, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works?…In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself” (James 2:14, 17). Faith and works go together! We cannot just say we believe. We have to believe God’s Word and then act like we do believe. It is important that our minds be taken captive by the thoughts of God for from it flows His life. “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life” (Proverbs 4:23). We can have peace knowing we don’t have to figure everything out on our own. God will equip us to handle the challenges He puts before us in His timing and that is a good thought to dwell on.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
