I Corinthians 2 The mind of Christ … Have you every caught yourself saying: “What is he/she thinking?” I know it can go either way. Sometimes it’s because of some ridiculous action someone is taking, like those depicted in every clip on AFV or on any show that includes the name “Redneck” in it. We may also find ourselves asking this question when some fashion faux pas has been committed. For example, I am personally seeking to build a ground swell of support to ban the production or selling of spandex in any size beyond medium. I’m sure you can’t guess why I would suggest such a thing. But there are other times when that statement: “What is he/she thinking” comes from a genuine desire to know. Typically there is some sort of thoughtful look on the other person’s face that triggers this question in our mind, or we are facing some major, life-altering decision and you’re still waiting for some kind of response from them. But the verse that prompted some of these thoughts comes at the very end of chapter two of First Corinthians. Paul is contrasting the spiritual truths that seem to be lost on those who are not believers in Christ while these truths are the very life of those who have the Spirit of God within us. He then quotes the prophet Isaiah and ends the chapter with a statement that always causes me to stop in my tracks. "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 We have the mind of Christ. What can that mean? I realize that Paul is using the line of reasoning that since the Spirit of God knows the mind of God, and since this same Spirit of God now dwells within us and allows us to call God: “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15), therefore that same Spirit allows us to be connected to the “mind of Christ.” I understand what Paul is saying and I’m certainly not questioning it. But in practical terms, what does that mean in my day to day Christian walk? There have been many, many times when I really wondered: “What does Jesus think about this?” No, I’m not talking about wearing a WDJTAT wristband, but there are times I would love to know exactly what’s He’s thinking as he’s watching us in all our brokenness and His redeeming love. I know it all starts with Scripture. Every time I read through the Bible – but especially the four Gospels, I am drawn closer and closer to Christ. He spoke and lived in a way that constantly causes me to want more. I want to know the mind of Christ. Perhaps the problem I encounter isn’t the promise of Paul, but the reality that my own spirit gets so cluttered with my own mind working overtime – a mind filled with self-grandiose thoughts, self-seeking plans, self-serving worries, and self-imposed doubts. Against all this background of soul clutter, the Word that Paul shares with us makes me yearn for the quiet so I can hear that still, small voice that only the Spirit of God can provide. May we all long to experience more and more the mind of Christ.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 15:11:04 +0000