Monday, February 16, 2009
The Mind of Christ
(Philippians 2:1-11)
Secular leaders (businessmen, coaches, military men) agree: the battle is always in the mind. Success in any endeavor begins in the mind—overcoming thoughts of defeat, inspiring oneself to greater effort, and maintaining a positive outlook through the tough times breed success. Failure, too, results from the mind—frustration, depression, and giving up stem from negative, unproductive thought patterns.
The Bible teaches much the same thing for Christians. Paul exhorts us to put on the “mind” of Christ Jesus. In other words, we’re to think as He would think and not to deviate from His thought pattern.
How did Jesus think? The Bible tells us that though He is God (6), He did not stress his authority (7a). Rather, He became a servant, humbled Himself, practiced obedience, and made the ultimate sacrifice (8). The essence of the “mind of Christ” is personal self-sacrifice.
Self-sacrifice is in short supply, even in Christian marriages. Our culture—especially male culture—promotes indulgence and excess, often at the expense of others. For Christian husbands, our culture’s bent is untenable. We are called to the highest standard—the mind of Christ. We are called to service, humility, obedience to Christ, and sacrifice for our families. Let’s be real men! Let’s buck the cultural trends! Let’s discipline our minds to think as Jesus thought!
