Anyone who has known me for any amount of time probably knows that I LOVE to read. Whenever I have spare time, I usually spend it reading, both fiction and non-fiction. This means that I have greatly enjoyed all of the assigned reading we’ve done so far this year, especially as the reading I’ve been doing has broadened my horizons and challenged my faith. In addition to reading books, I love studying the Bible, taking the time to check cross-references, to look up the original meaning of the Greek or Hebrew, to understand the historical context, and to apply it to my own life. I have actually found that reading books of a spiritual nature and studying the Bible are ways that I connect with God, and so I try to spend as much time as possible doing one or both of those.
And yet, I’m learning that all of that reading and studying are only part of what it means to love the Lord with all my mind (Matthew 22:37). Last night during the Sunday evening service, Ian suggested that one of the ways we love the Lord with our minds is by using the mind of Christ, which Paul tells us we have been given (1 Corinthians 2:16). It is one thing to fill our minds with Christ by studying the Bible and reading books about Him and how to live like Him; it is quite another to actually think like Jesus did, but that is what it means to use the mind of Christ, to be “transformed by the renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2). The Pharisees memorized more Scripture than I probably ever will and could quote Scripture to answer any question or settle any problem, but they definitely did not have the mind of Christ. The way they thought was far different from the way Jesus thought; consequently, the way they spoke and acted toward others was far different as well. I don’t want to be a Pharisee. I want my knowledge of Christ and His words to help me renew my mind so that I start thinking like Jesus did. I want to stop asking “what would Jesus say?” and start asking “how would Jesus think?”
Ian suggested two ways to test our use of the mind of Christ:
1. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Are we taking the time to evaluate our thoughts and opinions by comparing them to Christ’s thoughts and opinions? Are we willing to reject those thoughts that don’t line up with the mind of Christ?
2. Our having the mind of Christ is an outworking of the Spirit within us. With that in mind, let us evaluate our thoughts by checking them against the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). If our thoughts are not reflecting those fruits, are they coming from the mind of Christ?
May we all learn to love God with our minds by learning to think as Christ does.
In Christ,
Katie
God is changing your thought process and bringing you closer to him. You thoughts are interesting, I have not thought about it that way.