Mindset

Daily Reading:  Philippians 2

Scripture Focus: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2.5, NIV)

Devotional Thought: What was the mindset of Jesus?  He came to do the will of the Father (Hebrews 10.7)…  He came to lay down his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20.28)…  He came that others might have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10.10)…  He came to serve and not be served (Mark 10.45)…

Yet all too often, we who profess to follow Jesus have a totally different mindset.  Instead of praying, “not my will but yours be done,” we live as if we are praying, “not your will but mine be done.” We act according to what we need, what we prefer, what would be the most beneficial to us.  While Paul says that we should look to our own interests, if we are not careful we find ourselves looking exclusively to our own interests.

How should we combine our own interests with the interests of others?  When we are asked to serve, the question shouldn’t be, “Is this what I want to do?”  Rather it should be, “Is this God’s will for me?”  When confronted with limited resources and time in the church, our “default” position should be that these should be used for others, not for ourselves.  When faced with choices concerning evangelism for the lost vs. programming for the church, we should choose to look outside the church to the lost souls of our community.  When planning services and music for the congregation, the question should be, “What will reach the hearts of most of the people?”  Instead of pushing our needs to the front, we will ask, “How can I pray for you?”

May God enable us to live with the mindset of Christ.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you put my needs before your own, my salvation above your comfort.  Help me to have your mindset, O Lord, to serve the needs of others.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 132.1-5

1 Remember, O Lord, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured,

2 how he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

3 “I will not enter my house or get into my bed,

4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,

5 until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. ”