How to Have the Mind of Christ

Most of us are familiar with the t.v. ad that quoted, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." It is one of the most memorable slogans in higher education.

Our minds are pretty amazing.
Here are just a few interesting facts about the brain and how we think.
Fascinating Facts About the Human Brain Infographic 
God created us with so much potential with the detail and abilities we are given to use our brains to think. We have the ability to use our brains to produce good in life. We also can let our brains effect us and others in bad ways. We can love or hate with our minds. We can find joy or live in complete depression. These abilities are very powerful...sometimes the chemicals our bodies produce even affects our minds. What we allow our minds take in is also extremely vital.

I've been reading books and Scripture about how important it is to keep our minds steadfast on the Lord. I am learning that we need to continually seek to have the mind of Christ in order to live for Him...but first we need to know what that is.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus"... Philippians 2:5

Having the mind of Christ means sharing the plan, purpose, and perspective of Christ, and it is something that all believers possess.
  
Sometimes we may think we aren't worthy or able to have the mind of Christ. But the Bible speaks clearly that that's not the case.

 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16

In the verses leading up to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we note some truths concerning the mind of Christ:

1) The mind of Christ stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of man (verses 5-6).

2) The mind of Christ involves wisdom from God, once hidden but now revealed (verse 7).

3) The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Spirit of God (verses 10-12).

4) The mind of Christ cannot be understood by those without the Spirit (verse 14).

5) The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters (verse 15).

In order to have the mind of Christ,
  1. One must have saving faith in Christ (John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). 
  2. After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him with wisdom—the mind of Christ. 
  3. The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform and renew his mind (Romans 12:1-2).
  4. Discipline yourself to spend time in the Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit to safeguard the renewal of your mind. Because it won’t happen overnight (your existing patterns developed over many years!), patience and practice are required to consistently walk in God’s principles.
Benefits of having the mind of Christ:
  1. Peace. Romans 8:6 tells us that "to be spiritually minded is life and peace." 
  2. Increased intimacy with God. Isaiah 1:18 says that God wants us to come and reason with Him. He wants us to know His will for our lives (Heb. 13:21). 
  3. Desire to live a life of obedience to Him. The psalmist asked God to give him understanding in keeping His laws and walking in His commandments so that he might "turn away ... from looking at worthless things" (Ps. 119:33-37). Having any mind other than Christ's causes us to live a life of disobedience and rebellion.
A couple of books I found online that also look like great reading on this subject are listed below. I may have to buy them and read up more on how to better have the mind of Christ.

The Mind of Christ - By: T.W. Hunt
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/author/lesley-malpas/

May God's children
"...keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds that are steadfast,
    because they trust in You."
Isaiah 26:3

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 16, 2013 at 11:00 AM

    “The heart is more deceitful than all else
    And is desperately sick;
    Who can understand it?" - Jeremiah 17:9

    You are so right, it is so important to use our MINDS, and to use them correctly! I was very encouraged by your post!

    If you'd like, I'd love for you to link up at my NEW Saturday Link-Up, just launched today! :D It's called Recommendation Saturday, and you can find it here: http://reneweddaily.com

    Blessings to You! <3 Shelly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cairncottageNovember 17, 2013 at 9:00 PM

      Thanks, Shelly for stopping by. I will try to stop over at your blog, as well. Hope you have had a wonderful weekend!

      Delete

Post a Comment

I would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave me a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

My word for 2016: Happiness

Image
Hello and welcome to my first post of 2016! I'm a bit shocked at writing this post, as I I haven't picked a word for the year for myself for a few years. I hadn't planned on choosing a word this year till recently.  But because last year had SO many challenges for me and I gave so much of myself and felt so drained of energy by the end of the year. it just seemed appropriate to decide on a specific word for 2016. Definition from Dictionary.com "The state of being happy." synonyms: pleasure ,  contentment ,  satisfaction , cheerfulness,  merriment ,  gaiety ,  joy , joyfulness, joviality,  jollity ,  glee ,  delight , good spirits, lightheartedness,well-being,  enjoyment ;   exuberance ,  exhilaration ,  elation ,  ecstasy , jubilation ,  rapture , bliss,  blissfulness I've been reading and praying about the word - happiness - in Scripture, in Christian theological writings and blogs. I'm learning that happiness is not something God
Read more

Burn The Ships

Image
The beginning of a New Year often has us looking back and seeing how God has walked with us in the past and contemplating the year ahead .  We tend to want to hold on to the familiar, the easier path, the old ways....but these often become unhealthy, and even dangerous for us to continue down some paths/have relationships with some people in our lives. When we become aware of these different paths/people in our lives that can hinder/harm us, we may need to "rise from the dust and walk away".  "Burning the Ships" can be SO difficult(maybe even excruciating.)  I don't know about you, but FEAR often has kept me from burning the ships and moving ahead. Fear of rejection, fear of what others will think, fear of being alone, fear of not knowing the future. But, God reminds us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He is our source of strength. And He holds the future and will take care of us!! “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageou
Read more

Spiritual Fervor

Image
  We go through our daily routines,  but something is missing. Maybe d uring a crisis or a major life change....            or simply spending less and less time on spiritual pursuits. ...these c an cause us to enter a time in life                          when there's just no enthusiasm or spark. Ha ve you ever been the re before? I have!! There are days when it is difficult to find the drive and zest, even when I know I have the greatest reason to be zealous . Lacking zeal or losing spiritual fervor is som ething that the believer needs to be aware of as he /she progresses in one's spiritual life.  As we grow in our knowledge of Biblical truths and the things of God it becomes quite familiar and the wonder of first discovery can diminish over the years. It is here that spiritual boredom can set in.  Zeal is a fruit of deeply abiding in the One Who is Life! It is different than mere excitement, which happens mostly outwardly and at the surfa
Read more