The Mature Mind (2)

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation… Philippians 2.5-7

The mind of Christ!
Christians have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16). This is an astonishing statement – both a fact and a promise, as well as a challenge and an aspiration. It refers to the fact that the Spirit of Christ, Who dwells in every believer, has begun a new work in our thinking, and is laboring to help us make progress in becoming more like Jesus in how we see, think about, plan our way, and make progress in His Kingdom.

Since we have the mind of Christ, we should want to make the most of that resource for seeing the world and thinking through the many challenges and opportunities that come our way each day. Too many believers, like the Christians in Corinth, are merely children in their thinking when it comes to using the mind of Christ. But the teaching of Scripture is that we can mature in our thinking, so that the mind of Christ we possess increasingly becomes the mind through which we look out on the world and conduct our lives.

If a mind is a terrible thing to waste, wasting the mind of Christ is more than terrible. It is sinful, shameful, and inexcusable for those who know they possess it.

Sent to serve
The starting-point of the ongoing work of growing to maturity of mind is, as we have seen, in emptying ourselves of all mere self-interest and self-centeredness, taking up instead a mindset of humility and readiness for serving others at every opportunity, in every situation. This was the kind of thinking, as Paul explains, that led the Word of God to set aside His eternal perquisites and power to take upon Himself the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The Word became flesh because doing so was consistent with the eternal mind, the unchanging Logos, of God. And in so doing He made Himself a servant of sinners, so that through His service and sacrifice He might deliver us from our guilt and sin.

And Jesus said that, as the Father had sent Him to the world, so He is sending us every day (Jn. 20.21).

Emptying yourself
The Greek of our text says that Jesus “emptied Himself.” He emptied Himself of special privileges, of being first in everything, of His glorious reputation and power, so that He could humble Himself and come among us as a servant.

What is involved in emptying ourselves like this, so that we who have the mind of Christ might realize greater maturity in our thinking?

Paul tells us: First, we need to “esteem others better” than ourselves (v. 3). To esteem others is to regard them in a certain way, not only to think about them but to feel with admiration, respect, and grace toward them. That is, for our minds to function as they should, so that rather than seeking to be served by others we make it our business to serve them (Mk. 10.42-45) – for this to become more consistently our way of living, our hearts have to become re-oriented as well. The way we regard others – our attitudes toward and feelings about them – is a function of our hearts, where the affection of love is engendered. If we truly love our neighbors as ourselves, we will regard them more highly than we do ourselves, because this, frankly, is the way we would want them to regard us!

Paul continues in Philippians 2 to explain more practically how to do this: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (v. 4). That is, we need to discover the needs of other people, beginning with the folks we see each day – at home, in the neighborhood and community, at work and church, and so forth. We’ll have to take the initiative to get to know people a little better, learning and using their names, taking sincere interest in their lives and concerns, and initiating conversations as we are able. It will help, as we begin looking to the interests of others, if we practice good listening skills (Jms. 1.19). That way we’ll be more likely to remember what we’re learning.

In our conversations with the people around us, we’ll begin to discover the things that matter to them, and we can pray for them and their concerns with more focus and consistency. The more you pray for the people to whom God sends you each day, the more your concern and love for them will grow. Then, as opportunities arise to speak a word of encouragement, affirmation, or wisdom, or to offer some gesture of help, or other good work, you will be much more likely to notice those open doors and to go through them.

There’s a reason why the old saying has it that children should be seen and not heard. Children only think about themselves – what they want, how they want to be noticed, how they can seize the center of attention. The focus of a mature mind is away from self and toward others and their concerns. We will bring more maturity to our thinking when, like Jesus, we empty ourselves of ourselves and go each day into our Personal Mission Fieldslooking to serve others.

We have the mind of Christ; therefore, we can learn to think like Jesus, see others as Jesus did, and train our minds to analyze, reason, and plan in such a way that reaching out to others in self-denying love becomes just who we are in Christ. But you’ll have to work at it, and if you can work at it with someone else, each of you praying for, challenging, and holding the other accountable, your ability to have the mind of Jesus in all situations will begin to increase noticeably.

For reflection
1.  What does it mean for you to “empty” yourself like Jesus did? What does it look like in everyday situations when you are thinking more about others and their concerns than about yourself and yours?

2.  What obstacles can keep us from emptying ourselves to serve others? How can believers help one another to recognize and overcome these obstacles?

3.  Who are the people God sends you to each day to serve? Have you mapped out your Personal Mission Field?

Next steps – Preparation: Watch the brief video on Personal Mission Field (click here). Download the worksheet, and map out your Personal Mission Field. Share this exercise with a Christian friend.

T. M. Moore

This is part 2 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.

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