Developing The Mind of Christ
“The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does….”
Isaiah 8:11 (NLT)
God had set Isaiah apart as His servant, a prophet, to speak on His behalf. For him to be successful, he had to think differently than everyone else. In Isaiah 8:11 (NLT), he wrote, “The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does….” His thoughts were not to reflect the culture or popular opinion of his day. They were to reflect the truth of God’s Word. He was to have a Biblical worldview if he would be effective as God’s messenger.
Our thoughts govern a great deal of our behavior. The Bible says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Prov. 23:7 NKJV)
Someone else said: “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” It all begins with how we think! That’s the power of a thought! How do you think? Do you think like everyone else? The Christ follower is motivated by deeper thoughts - the mind of Christ. The Bible tells us, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus….” Philippians 2:5 (NKJV)
How do we get the mind of Christ? First, by receiving His life! When we open our hearts to Christ and turn from our sins to Him, He comes by His Spirit to take up residence in us. As we release control of our lives to Him, He teaches our minds to think differently. We begin to think His thoughts as we learn His will from His Word. In Philippians 4:8 (NLT), the Bible says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” The only reliable source for these eight qualities is the Bible.
If you want to fix your thoughts so that you don’t think like everyone else, renew your mind by reading and meditating on the Word of God. Practice the discipline of thinking about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Think about what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. When you do, you won’t have time to think about anything else!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.