Developing the Mind of Christ Everyday

Proverbs 23:7a >>

for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.

Philippians 2:5 >>

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

1 Corinthians 2:16 >>

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Romans 2:12 >>

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Corinthians 10:5 >>

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

—

1. When I am faced with pressures and/or problems, I tend to think about the problems. I need to always seek out God, think about things from God’s point of view, how they are really LITTLE things relative to the important things in life, and get to the root of the issue,rather than focus on the consequence.
2. From the verses above, a way to develop the mind of Christ is to not follow the patterns of this world, to be transformed by the renewing of our mind and to make “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).” God’s Word is like cleansing water for our mind.

A New Way of Thinking

Mark 2:15-22 >>

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?”

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.

20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.

22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.”

—

1. From the verses above, what’s wrong with the way of thinking the Pharisees and teachers of the law possessed is that they didn’t want to be with sinners. They thought they were better than them, discriminating against them, when really we are all sinners.
2. Meditatating on verses 21-22, the way I think when I’m faced with problems and my reactions when I’m under pressure sometimes can be stressed out and then I forget about God’s promises and His almighty power. I need to use the mind of Christ in facing life.
3. To discipline my thoughts so that Christ is made real in my life I need to consciously make an effort to bring every thought into subjection of Christ and to rebuke any thought that thinks otherwise.

CONTROLLING YOUR MIND

Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Mark 7:18-23, Luke 5:22, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8, Colossians3:2

Mark 7:18-23 >>

18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.)

20 And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within;

Luke 5:22 >>

Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts?

2 Corinthians 10:5 >>

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

Philippians 4:8 >>

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.

Colossians3:2 >>

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

—

1. What happens when we fail to guard our mind? [ponder on Mark 7:18-23] When we fail to guard our mind,we defile ourselves, because “It is what comes from inside that defiles (us) (v.20).”
2. From the verses above, find the ways to control your mind! Some ways to control our mind is to destroy every rebellious or prideful thought that prevents us from knowing Christ. We need to consciously submit all our thoughts under the authority of Christ.
3. Memorize Philippians 4:8, “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.”

Fix your thoughts on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1)

Run from anything that gives you the evil thoughts . . . but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. 2 Timothy 2:22 (LB)

A few quick notes.

From today’s devotions, I learned about the power of suggestion. When temptation comes, we should not think the negative of the action, but instead focus our attention elsewhere. Ignoring is the best option. The Bible tells us to “flee from fleshly desires.” For example, if you want to stop smoking, you shouldn’t say “I want to stop smoking, I want to stop smoking…” It will make you think about it all the time. Instead, we should preoccupy our minds with something else, focus our attention on someting that is better! “Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable” (Philippians 4:8 TEV).”

I’m going to try this new strategy when it comes to fighting temptation…or rather not letting it get to me because I’m focused on important things. =]