Philippians 2:5
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Romans 12:2a
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Devotion
Here, Paul is challenging believers to develop the attitude or mind of Christ. If we are going to model Christ’s humility, then we must think like Jesus. I remember in my early spiritual formation reading a book by T.W. Hunt called, The Mind of Christ. In this book, Hunt presents an in-depth Bible study, introducing believers to a lifelong process God will use to renew their minds and lives to reflect the image of Christ. It makes sense that if we are going to reflect Christ’s attributes, then we must think like Christ.
I have often said, “Discipleship is the ministry of influence.” When I meet with others in the discipleship process, I am intentionally trying to influence their thought processes with the transformational truth of God’s Word. Transformational discipleship is not behavior modification. True biblical discipleship begins with a radical reordering of the way we think. We must replace our worldly way of thinking with a new way that is God- or Christ- centered.
Scripture has a lot to say about our thought processes. In 2 Corinthians, Paul instructs us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” In Colossians, Paul writes, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Humility comes from the deepest place when we have surrendered our minds to Christ. It is important to note that this process of surrendering our minds to Christ is a lifelong process. Every day we are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Every day we are to surrender our ways (bodies) and our wills (minds) to Christ. This is the reasonable thing to do in light of what Christ has done for us!
Questions to Ponder
In what ways has your thinking changed since you have come to know Christ? How are you taking captive every thought and making it obedient to Christ? Are you daily surrendering your will and your ways to God? How is God developing the mind of Christ in you? Are you committed to the process of becoming more and more like Christ? What must you do to reflect Christ’s humility more accurately in your life?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.