During the Revolutionary War, a rider on horseback came across a squad of soldiers trying to move a heavy piece of timber.
A corporal stood by with a self-important air, giving orders to “heave.”
But the piece of timber was a bit too heavy for the squad.
“Why don’t you help them?” asked the quiet man on the horse, addressing the corporal.
“Me? Why, I’m a corporal, sir!”
Dismounting, the stranger carefully took his place with the soldiers.
“Now, all together, boys, heave,” he exclaimed.
And the big piece of timber slid into place.
The stranger mounted his horse.
Then, turning to the corporal, he said, “The next time you have a piece of timber for your men to handle, Corporal, send for the Commander-in-chief.”
The horseman was George Washington!
In Philippians 2:5 we read this:
“Have this attitude (or mind) in yourselves; which was also in Christ Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 2:16 says:
“We have the mind of Christ.”
God’s Word gives us Christ’s thinking and attitude.
Paul is exhorting the believers at Philippi to allow Christ’s mind to control their thinking.
His attitude of humility and selflessness for the benefit of others should be true of them if they are letting the mind of Christ control them.
Did Jesus ever do anything from selfish ambition or from pride or empty conceit?
Did Christ only look out for His own personal interests and disregard the interests or concerns of others? No!
When we have the mind of Christ living through us, then we’ll not assert our own importance and defend our own rights.
We won’t promote our own selfish interests and live only for ourselves.
But we will see others as more important than ourselves and look out for the interest and concerns of others.
Paul said let this attitude or mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
We are not being urged merely to think as Christ thought, but for His mind or attitude to control our thinking.
The example of Christ is not achieved by us seeking to imitate Him.
Christ-likeness is not formed by having Christ “before us” but having Christ “in us.”
A man named Norman Harrison says this,
“Are we to imitate the mind of Christ? Impossible! The product of our effort would be artificial and wholly human. This is not God’s way. He first imparts His life to us. He implants life, His very own life, through us. This is the divine order in Christian experience. Before He presented Himself to us as our example He had already become in us our life.”
We saw that we already have the mind of Christ, but we are to claim it and let it dominate us.
When the power of sin controls our mind we will have a selfish mind, but when we are yielded to Christ’s life within, we will have the mind of Christ controlling us.
Let’s have the mind of Christ!
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries
I really needed that today. I was rebuked for something I didn’t do ,but had no way of rebuttal without gossiping about the individual that did it.
Praise the Lord that He used it in your life just at the right time when you need it!
Love your stories you share brother to demonstrate gospel truth. Praying that you are seeing the “huge” impact that your ministry has. Thank you to you and Robin for your faithfulness in these “Nuggets of Truth.”
Thank you Aaron for the kind words. It is always great to hear that the Lord uses His Word in the lives of people who read these blogs. It was good to hear from you. I hope you and your family are doing well.
Thanks, Aaron, for the kind words. It is always great to hear that the Lord uses His Word in the lives of people who read these blogs. I hope you and your family are doing well.