The Mind of Christ (7)

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus… Philippians 2.5

More beautiful and powerful
We have the mind of Christ, a resource more beautiful and more powerful than all the computers in the world, and one which is pre-set with an abundance of high-powered spiritual software to enable us to serve God and others, for His glory and their salvation, in building up the Church in unity and maturity as the Body of Christ.

We have the mind of Christ. It remains to be seen whether we will use that mind as He Who gave it intends.

Paul tells us that, while we have this mind as a gift of the Lord Jesus, we must nonetheless nurture the mind of Christ as a deliberate and ongoing act of maturing in the Lord. We must let the mind of Christ be the mind of Christ in us, and not just continue thinking, planning, setting goals, and looking out of our lives from the vantage point of our old mind.

Just like I’ve had to learn all the possibilities and powers of my computer over the years, and of the vast potential of the Internet, so believers must apply themselves to developing and giving full rein to the mind of Christ that is in them. We must strive for maturity in our thinking, so that we are no longer living like naïve children or uninformed dolts.

So how do we do this? How do we nurture and refine the mind of Christ so that His mind can be in us and we can fulfill His purpose in giving us His mind in the first place? A few suggestions.

The Word and prayer
First, make sure you are pursuing a good course of spiritual disciplines, especially time in the Word of God and prayer. I know I keep coming back to these over and over, but they are so important that we must guard against ever taking them for granted. Without these – to discern and reflect on the mind of Christ – we won’t make any progress in nurturing that mind for maximum use.

Prayer and Scripture are the foundations of a life of learning to become a true disciple of the Lord. Make sure there’s plenty of each of these in your life, and that you are continuously improving your use of these disciplines for gaining the mind of Christ.

Second, chart a course of ongoing study in areas that will equip you to serve others. Think about the places you go and the people you see each day – your Personal Mission Field. How can you improve your understanding of the various social and cultural arenas in which you travel? And what about the people you encounter there? You may want to read in areas of interest to the people you deal with each day, so that you can talk with them about their interests and concerns.

Perhaps you need to enroll in a course on how to be a better conversationalist, or learn to share the Good News of Christ. Maybe some more consistent input from Christian websites would help to equip your mind for more effective service and worldview living. What opportunities exist at your church for you to become better equipped in using the mind of Christ? Remember, as disciples of the Lord one of our primary callings is to learn. We should seek to learn as much as we can to better fit us for serving others, building Christ’s Church, and glorifying our God.

Third, find a soul friend or study partner to share in this adventure with you. As you sharpen and encourage one another, you’ll find that your minds not only grow stronger but grow together in love as well. Learning to use the mind of Christ is challenging, and we’ll be more likely to stay the course in this challenge if we have some friends alongside studying and growing with us.

Finally, look for new ways of putting your mind to use in the service of Christ. Teach a Bible study. Write a blog for a website. Learn a skill to allow you to serve in the local prison ministry or rescue center. Study to become a more caring and thoughtful person, and more adept at encouraging others with your words. Whatever you do, by all means work to nurture the mind of Christ in you, so that, increasingly, He may be seen to be guiding your thinking, outlook, and life.

A life-long calling
Nurturing the mind of Christ is a life-long endeavor, but it has to begin somewhere. Let the mind of Christ be in you so that you become more Christ-like in your thinking, and you’ll find that growing in the mind of Christ can be one of the greatest adventures of your life.

There is room for improvement in each of us, so let’s not waste any time on this challenge. Grow in the mind of Christ, press on toward maturity in your thinking, and watch how the mind of Christ grows in you.

For reflection
1.  What are some areas of your life where you could begin to let the mind of Christ be in you more consistently and fruitfully?

2.  How can you improve the time and effort you are presently making to let the mind of Christ be in you?

3.  Whom can you enlist as a prayer partner or soul friend to help you in this effort to let the mind of Christ be in you?

Next steps: Set up a personal plan for growing in the mind of Christ over the next year. What goals will you set? How will you approach the challenge of growing in the mind of Christ? How do you hope that growing in the mind of Christ will benefit the people you see each day? Share your plan with a few Christian friends, and challenge them to do the same.

T. M. Moore

This is part 1 of a multi-part series on the Christian mind. To download this week’s study as a free PDF, click here.

How’s your Christian worldview? Are you stretching your mind to think about life and the world as Jesus does? Our free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, can provide the categories, terms, and framework for you to begin nurturing a more expansive Christian mind. For more information and to register, click here.

The mind of Christ is set for the Kingdom of God. Is yours? Our book, The Kingdom Turn, provides a concise and practical overview of what it means to live for Christ from within the framework of His Kingdom. Order your copy by clicking here.

The Lord uses your prayers and gifts to help us in this ministry. Add us to your regular prayer list, and seek the Lord concerning whether He would have you share with us. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the contribute button at the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.