Let This Mind Be in You

If you want to find out what a man is made of, watch him when he’s under pressure. I’ve heard it said that it’s easy for a man to be kind, generous, and compassionate when things are going his way but put him under stress and you’ll see the darker side of his true nature.

How many of us know someone who tends to have a shorter temper when they’re under pressure? How many of us know someone whose language slips a bit when they’re angry or stressed? How many of us were thinking maybe it’s us?

Yet, God does not say that if we follow Him we will not be subject to hardship, stress, and pressures. In fact, he says just the opposite.

In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Further, our faith is compared to fine gold tried by fire yet we are to praise, honor, and glorify God. (1Pet 1:7)

We cannot avoid stress and pressures of life but we can learn to put them in their proper perspective.

The parable of the evil servant in Luke 12, who says in his heart, “the lord delays his coming” succumbs to the pressures of the tribulation and begins to beat his servants. Whether the lord actually delayed his coming or it just took longer than the servant could stand, we’re not told.

Luk 12:35-37 KJV  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;  (36)  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.  (37)  Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

Luk 12:42-48 KJV  And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?  (43)  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  (44)  Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.  (45)  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;  (46)  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  (47)  And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  (48)  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

This servant is a believer. He knew the Lord’s will but was indifferent to it. He didn’t gird up the loins of his mind and his light wasn’t burning in anticipation of his Lord’s return. He didn’t do according to his Lord’s will. He didn’t prepare himself.

Aren’t we true believers, servants of the Lord? Are we anticipating His return? Are our lights burning brightly? Or are we indifferent, just going through the motions, doing the bare minimum? Do we cherish the precious gift of redemption we’ve been given? Aren’t we among those to whom much is given? God’s Holy Spirit, the Truth, God’s Holy Day Plan, His Word the Bible.

Are we preparing ourselves for the times ahead before the Lord returns? Have we girded up the loins of our minds? Will we be ready when things get really bad to remain calm, grounded in God’s truth and to be a beacon of light and hope in the darkness?

It’s not what happens to us that matters, our circumstances, but how we respond to it that counts. Our attitude or mindset determines what we make of it.

We see hardship, turmoil, and destruction every day, in far off lands, in Syria, in North Korea, and throughout the Middle East and Africa. For the most part they’re all faraway places that are not close by and don’t affect us directly.

But what happens when it does? How will we react then?

We’re seeing Christian values attacked and ridiculed on a daily basis. As the unrest gets worse and the pressure mounts and does impact our little world, what then? We live in times that are rapidly changing and becoming more and more uncertain. How do we cope with such uncertainty?

Elizabeth Comstock, an accomplished businesswoman who worked for General Electric for 27 years, rose through the ranks to become the first female executive to serve as the Vice Chair of General Electric. She just recently stepped down at the end of last year. She was named to Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in both 2015 and 2016.

I recently read a quote by her that stuck with me and I immediately wrote it down.

“Everywhere I go I hear people saying, ‘Wow things are changing so fast.’ We are looking at technology globalization. My colleagues often say that when this is over we can focus, but the reality is it is never going to be over. Change has always been a part of who we are but now it is much faster. Our leaders are used to the constant state of flux but now it is about making sense of that change because it is not going to get any better...To 'survive and thrive' we must get comfortable with uncertainty." ~Beth Comstock

To 'survive and thrive' we must get comfortable with uncertainty.

In an article by Natalie Fratto, a Y Combinator [a company that provides early stage funding for startup companies] alumni and former IBM Watson [Artificial Intelligence for business] strategist, discussed the importance of adaptability in achieving future success.

WHY ADAPTABILITY WILL SOON MATTER MORE THAN EVER

“It’s no secret that technology is changing at an exponential rate, requiring us to learn faster than humans have ever had to before. The behaviors we’ve honed for decades will become obsolete in a few short years. Our off-the-shelf “neuroplasticity” [the brain’s ability to create new synaptic pathways, helping [us] quickly learn new behaviors when exposed to rapidly changing stimuli] might not be enough for us to succeed in a 45-year (or, likely, longer) career, where each year’s work dramatically differs from the last’s. As a result, our “adaptability quotient” (AQ) will soon become the primary predictor of success, with general intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) both taking a back seat.”

I’ve read a number of articles that state plainly that if our brains are not augmented by artificial intelligence in the future we will not be able to keep up.

Sounds just like Daniel 12:4 – “At the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

Knowledge is increasing exponentially! And what they’re saying is that our adaptability to change, our resilience will be paramount to our success.

The world around us is changing rapidly. It’s becoming more hostile and it’s becoming more difficult to keep up. The pressure is mounting.

This does not mean that we too must run around frantically trying to keep up with everything that bombards us.

We do need to do what’s necessary to keep our lives in order and this alone may cause us to feel worn out at times but we need not worry.

We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.

We do need to change our expectations of others, not by lowering our standards of decency and respect but by understanding that everyone we meet is coping with some stressful situation we know nothing about. We can and should make allowance for that in our interactions with them.

We do need to modify our view of others by keeping in mind that they have been deceived and know not what they do. Love them anyway.

And we do need to adapt, not by changing our core beliefs to conform to societal norms but in how we respond to others. It’s our unshakable faith, our core beliefs and values that allow us to adapt how we respond to the circumstances and people around us with a quiet compassion rooted in the knowledge we’ve been given that this is how things will be as we enter the time of the end but this is only a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement. We need not react in an absentminded knee-jerk fashion to the latest insult but with presence of mind, respond out of a sense of calm understanding and compassion.

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.  (Psa 119:165 KJV)

How do we adapt and become more resilient? Turn to Colossians chapter 1.

We have recently recommitted to our covenant with God and been reconciled to him through the Passover and Spring Holy Days of Unleavened Bread.

If we, as true Christians, are to maintain our composure and a proper focus, and not get caught up in the contentious spirit all around us, we must level set our minds every day to stay rooted in the faith and grounded in truth, hope, and love.

Col 1:19-23 KJV  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;  (20)  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.  (21)  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled  (22)  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:  (23)  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Paul reminds us here that we too were once of a corrupt way of thinking and our actions reflected it. But we have now been reconciled by the blood of Christ and remain holy and without blame in the Father’s sight IF we continue to stay grounded and settled in the faith and do not move away from the hope of the gospel.

Paul tells the saints in Ephesus that he prays for them, that they should be mindful of the strength offered to them by the Holy Spirit to stay rooted and grounded in love.

Eph 3:14-19 KJV  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  (16)  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  (17)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  (18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Regardless of how bad things may get we need to stay firmly rooted and grounded in love. If we are to remain resilient as society crumbles around us, we must level set our minds to be grounded and settled in the truth, in the hope of the gospel, in faith, and in love continually. We must renew our inner man on a daily basis.

2Co 4:14-18 KJV  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.  (15)  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  (16)  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  (17)  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our default mindset is one of corruption and reprobation. If we don’t make a conscious effort to reconcile this on a regular daily basis, we will by default drift toward corruption, destitute of the truth.

There are only two paths to follow. Following God is a not passive endeavor. It takes active participation on our part to follow God. Either we actively follow God or in our apathy and passivity we are following Satan by default. There are only two options – God’s way or Satan’s way.

Eph 2:1-3 KJV  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses  and sins;  (2)  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of  this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that  now worketh in the children of disobedience:  (3)  Among whom also we all  had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the  desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of  wrath, even as others.

Without the regular cleansing of our minds with the word of God, we can become indifferent toward the things of God. If we let it go too far too long, we can reach a point where we rebel against the truth of God, and even come to resent it.

We must allow God’s Holy Spirit to transform our minds by the washing of the water of the Word of God. (Eph 5:26) We cannot allow ourselves to float along with the rest of society subjecting our minds to their abject despair groping for meaning through our feelings and emotions. We must make a conscious decision to view the world through the lens of God’s Word. In other words, adopt a Biblical world view, a Christ-like mindset.

Eph 4:17-19 KJV  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,  (18)  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  (19)  Who being past feeling [In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling -AMP] have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

The culmination of heading down this path is that God will give such people over to a reprobate mind.  (Rom 1:28) Hence, the necessity of complete transformation and renewal of the inner man.

Eph 4:20-24 KJV  But ye have not so learned Christ;  (21)  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:  (22)  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;  (23)  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24)  And that ye  put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true  holiness.

If we are to acquire the right mindset such that we can withstand the corruption and turmoil all around us without losing our composure, we must continually, regularly, feed our mind on positive godly things, especially the Word of God.

It’s easy to maintain our love of God while we continue to rest in relative comfort and ease. We have enough food. We have shelter. We have clothing, fresh water, and so on and so on. The question is, “What if we didn’t?” Do we have the spiritual fortitude to endure? Are we resilient enough to maintain our love of God and our compassion for our fellow man? How do we get there? How do we get to the point where we can?

2Co 10:3-5 KJV  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (4)  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  (5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

To do this we must first know which strong holds to pull down.

[which are beliefs and maxims people hold out to be true]

We must have knowledge of God if we are to determine if a thing exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

We must have an understanding of the mind of Christ if we are to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

We must allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead us and teach us the things of God.

1Co 2:9-16 KJV  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  (10)  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  (11)  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  (12)  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  (13)  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  (14)  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  (15)  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  (16)  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We have been given a tremendous gift from the Sovereign God of the whole Universe, His Holy Spirit. This Spirit of God will lead us into all truth and teach us the things of God in order that we may have the very mind of Christ!

Question – Will the Holy Spirit teach us these things if we never crack open our Bibles? No, of course not.

Can the Holy Spirit teach us without any effort on our part whatsoever? No, of course not.

An old Baptist minister I know used to say, “Even God can’t steer a parked car.”

So, if we are to have the very mind of Christ, we must take the initiative. We cannot just go through the motions. We must seek it with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Treat it as the precious gift that it is.

This wisdom and understanding affords us a view of the world from a Biblical perspective. Knowing God’s plan and what the Bible has to say about it allows us to make certain accommodations for others out of a sense of compassion and love.

Your mind is like a computer. What you put in is what you get out. This is known as “GIGO” – garbage in, garbage out. Or good in, good out. Everything you have ever taken into your mind can come out through intentional recall or sometimes unintentional reaction to stimuli in our environment. Everything! So be careful what you allow to enter your mind.

Now, the good thing is that your mind also operates predominantly on the “LIFO” system – last in, first out. This means that by flooding your mind with good things you can wash out or at least suppress to some degree the bad things. The last thing you put in your mind is more readily available for recall and is the most likely thing to come out.

This is why we’re told in Php 4:6 to think on these things – whatsoever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

This is why we’re told to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2Cor 10:5) It must pass the Christ filter before we allow it to lodge in our mind.

This brings our mind into proper focus and directs our thoughts along godly lines producing an attitude of humility, service, compassion, and love.

We are ambassadors of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We represent God and Christ to those around us. Christ told Philip in John 14:9 that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. Our attitude, our mindset should be, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Christ”.

Because in truth, whether we realize it or not, once we claim Christ’s name, once we become a member of the family of God, we represent all of Christianity to the world. Those around us judge all of Christianity by our attitudes and actions. This is a solemn burden. We must do our level best to represent our Father in the most positive light. We should let our light so shine before men that when they see our actions they will glorify the Father which is in heaven, (Matt 5:16) that they may by our good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1Pet 2:12)

Let this mind be in you –

Php 2:1-8 NKJV  Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  (2)  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  (3)  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  (4)  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  (5)  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  (7)  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  (8)  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

What can we do to level set our minds to be grounded and settled in the truth? What can we do to have the mind of Christ?

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Mat 6:34)

Therefore, we must ground ourselves in the truth every day in order to face the day. Think of it as preparing for battle. The battle is real. Is it real to you yet? You wouldn’t go into battle unarmed and unprotected, would you?

Here are 4 things we must do if we are to cultivate the mind of Christ -

1. Bible Study - I recommend you do your bible study first thing in the morning while you’re still fresh and before any other matters invade your thought process and distract you. You may say, you don’t have time in the morning. Get up 30 minutes earlier. Now you have time.

Set a study plan. Pick a certain topic, a verse, a book of the bible, a person, a word. Follow a study guide or course. Don’t just passively listen to a sermon. There’s something intrinsically impactful about actively pursuing the truth. Look up every verse even if you think you already know it. Take time to follow where it leads. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. You may learn a lesson other than the one originally set out. 

2. Meditation - Pause to reflect on it. Meditate on it. Selah. How does this apply to what’s going on in my life right now? How does this relate to what God is doing? How does it apply to what’s going on in the world right now? What have you heard recently that is related? How does the Bible say this will play out? Discuss it with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Don’t wait for the Sabbath. Send them an email or text. Post it on social media for discussion.

3. Prayer - Pray every day. Daniel and David prayed 3 times a day. I imagine this was at preset scheduled times. I recommend you schedule a reminder in your calendar to kickstart the good habit of remembering to include God in what you’re doing throughout the day. Add in additional impromptu ‘mental resets’ when you sense your mind straying, your attitude slipping, or anxious thoughts entering in. Put things in their proper perspective by discussing it with God. Be completely open with Him about your cares and concerns. Paul says to pray without ceasing. (1Thes 5:17) You know that running dialog you have with yourself in your head? Why not include God?

4. Fasting - Fast on a periodic basis. Fasting is not just for the Day of Atonement. It’s hard. Why would we want to fast any other time? Let’s look at Isaiah 58.

Isa 58:6 KJV  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

When I feel like I’ve been drawn too much into the world, fasting is the best way to loosen the bonds. It takes discipline but I’ve found no other way.

You can schedule it, something like the first Tuesday of every month in order to make a habit of it. Or whenever you feel like you’re too much in the world set aside a day for fasting and prayer. The goal of fasting is to come out of the world and be ye separate and to draw near to God.

Discipline & Habit -

A word or two about discipline and habit –

“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” ~Samuel Johnson

We unconsciously form habits through our repetitive actions over time. We don’t even realize we’re doing it most of the time until we try to do something different.

To consciously form new habits takes discipline. There is no shortcut. There is no hack.

To be a good disciple of Christ, it takes discipline.

We must know that if we are going to be ready mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to face the roaring lion (1Pet 5:8) each and every day, it’s going to take discipline.

When forming a new routine, start small but be consistent until it becomes a habit. It takes 6 to 8 weeks of consistent action to form a new habit. Your mind is conditioned through repetition until it becomes routine. Add to it as your resolve gets stronger.

Regarding habit, I like to say, “Don’t do anything twice that you don’t want to become a habit.”  A habit, good or bad, is formed through repetitive action. Make sure your actions lead to good habits.

As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”. However, this is not entirely accurate. “Perfect practice, makes perfect.” You can practice something wrong until it becomes ingrained just as easily as you can practice doing it right. Make perfect practice of grounding and settling your mind in the truth every single day, without exception. Weary not in well doing and it will become your new routine.

The world is becoming a more difficult place in which to live, especially for Christians. We must not allow the cares of this life and the stress and pressure to get to us.

We must stay focused on the end game – the Kingdom of God.

The things of this life are temporary and of little value in comparison to what God has in store for those who endure to the end. We cannot let the incidental and unimportant get in our way and deter us from our goal.

1Pe 1:13-19 KJV  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (14)  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  (15)  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16)  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  (17)  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:  (18)  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  (19)  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Keep in mind, we are preparing now for service in the Millennium. Each of us is unique and no matter how trying, our experiences are unique too. Value them. Learn from them. Remember, it takes all kinds to serve all kinds.

It takes all kinds to serve all kinds.

Gird up the loins of your mind. Count it all joy. And let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~