In case you are just joining me, I have embarked on a new series titled Unlocking the Power of Your Thinking, which will eventually become book number five in my Unlocking Series. You can catch up on the past entries here before you jump into this week's topic which includes a look at a few verses in Paul's letter to the Philippians that relate to our topic of your mind and thoughts.
THINK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS
Paul instructed us concerning our thinking throughout the letter to his favorite church. He uses the word mind five times:
- . . . then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind (2:2).
- In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (2:5).
- Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things (3:19).
- I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord (4:2).
- And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (4:7).
The last verse is part of a passage that will now be my focus:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:4-9).
In essence, Paul was instructing us to mind our mind or think about our thoughts throughout his letter. In Philippians 4, he was addressing a squabble between two women and fellow gospel workers, Euodia and Syntyche. It is of note that he did not spell out the problem and try to adjudicate it. Instead, Paul urged then all to get their minds focused on the right things and off the source of their contention. If they wanted peace, then Paul showed them they must keep their minds thinking thoughts that were lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, and pure. Paul wasn't simply urging them not to think about their differences. He was teaching for them to "make those things the subject of your thoughtful consideration, carefully reflecting on them (Vine's Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).
THE MIND OF CHRIST
In Philippians 2:5, Paul told his readers to "have the same mindset as Christ." Is that even possible? We have often been taught that our minds and hearts are cesspools, prone to wander into enemy territory and thus lead us astray. Paul wasn't buying into that thinking and ordered his disciples to have the mind and attitude of Christ. He was not telling his readers to empty their minds so God could fill them. He was advising them to "reckon, calculate, and reason out those things to serve God and men" (Vine's). In other words, Paul told us to find a godly thought and chew, dwell, focus, develop, and turn it over again and again. We will hear from God when we stop waiting for Him to "drop" thoughts into our minds and thinking about whatever comes to mind until that happens. No, we are to play an active role in what occupies our mind and we are to fill it with good things—otherwise we are prone to the problem our two sisters had in the Philippian church. We will each decide what is right and insist others comply and agree and if they don't, then we will consider them "wrong" and argue to make them "right."
I have discovered after 47 years of ministry that most people have trouble hearing from the Lord to determine God's will for them. The reason isn't because they are unspiritual or don't want to know. It's because they have not minded their mind. They waste their mind energy on anxiety, worry, fantasies, hurts, and daydreams, which are all junk food for the brain. That junk works against the mind of the Spirit and crowds out the thoughts of God. If you want to unlock the power of your thinking, then you must take an active role and replace the negative with the spiritual. You must also heed Paul's words and teaching in Philippians. If you do that and mind your mind and think about your thoughts, Paul promised you will have peace. If you choose, like Adam and Eve, to decide for yourself what thoughts you will keep and develop, you will fall short of God's best for your life.
Paul would not have commanded us to have the mindset of Christ if it wasn't possible to have in the power of the Spirit. I encourage you to meditate on this subject this week and determine once and for all to have the mind of Christ. You do your part, which is honestly assessing your state of mind, and then enlist the Spirit's help as you clean house. Don't just tear down old thoughts, but be sure to replace them with thoughts that meet the criteria spelled out in Philippians 4:8-9. When you do, you will unlock much of the spiritual power you have desired but lacked up to this point in time. Have a blessed week.
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