“But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16b (NIV)
This past Sunday I was at Athens Church, and Sean Seay (Lead Pastor) spoke powerfully on the topic of our identity. He suggested a great book by Neil Anderson called Who I am in Christ, and I highly recommended it.
Sean’s message got me thinking, and here are some of those thoughts! Proverbs 23:7 says that as a man thinketh, so he is (KJV). If we believe we’re a loser we’ll act like it. If we believe we’re a victim we’ll act like it. Yet on the other hand, if we believe we are loved, special, and have a purpose, guess what, we’ll act like it! And you know what? We are loved, special and have a purpose! John the Apostle wrote about our identity as a child of God. Check it out… “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that’s what we are” (1 John 3:1a NIV)!
The crazy thing is the primary method of demonic attack is through our thoughts and this battle ground can be relentless! No wonder, Paul instructs us to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). He also tells us that since we are raised to new life in Christ that we are to think about the things of heaven instead of earth (Colossians 3:2). We are even told that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). What we listen to, even our own self talk, impacts us tremendously. The music we surround ourselves in influences this battlefield. The TV we watch really impacts us. If you dine on mainstream media, you are more poisoned than you realize! If you’re watching snake news the venom is damaging you! And what you tell yourself either sets you free or binds you up. But let me add, positive thinking doesn’t change anything unless it is true! But saying something true to yourself, that is positive over your life, is transforming. The Apostle Paul tells us that the secret to nonconformity to the world and the lies of the enemy are through being transformed through the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). He also tells us that when we fix our minds on what is true, what is pure, what is lovely, what is praiseworthy… JESUS, the peace of God over our lives that transcends all understanding will be released in us. This peace will literally guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-9). In other words, it is absolutely vital to align our thoughts on Jesus and what He says about us! You see, you are loved, you are special and you have a purpose, but the only way of walking in that is to intentionally fix your thoughts on Jesus because He is the perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Ask the Lord to teach you how to live in a state of intentional Christ mindfulness! As I mentioned, the world and the enemy, even ourselves will make a lot of noise. Unless we intentionally reject the junk and put on that which is holy and pure, the confusion and battle will rage and you will remain a captive. But God does have a specific purpose for you and your destiny, so please seek Him for it. One other voice we are to listen to is Jesus’ (and the Holy Spirit). And since Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27), if you are not hearing His voice, ask Him to show you how to decrease all the other voices. The reality is, He is always speaking, but the noise in our head is so loud that often we cannot hear it! Thank Him for giving you the mind of Christ!
