Dear Church,
Yesterday we talked about the “Mind of Joy.” Using the book of Philippians, we identified four mindsets we need to adopt in order to have unbroken joy.
Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”–The Single Mind. Paul was focused on making sure Christ was exalted no matter what happened to him personally. You can have joy over your circumstances!
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”–The Submissive Mind. Paul helped us see through the submission of Christ that we can have joy over difficult people. We can learn to serve people who annoy or frustrate us rather than try to prove we are right or put them in their place. Philippians 2 tells us we are to possess the mind of Christ, the submissive mind.
Philippians 3:19-20 “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”–The Spiritual Mind. We aren’t to be focused on the things of this world, but on eternity. We are to live with a heavenly mindset, not an earthly one. An earthly focus will cause us to compare ourselves to those around us and will rob us of our joy.
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”–The Secure Mind. We don’t have to worry about anything, but we can pray about everything. Prayer is one main pathway to peace and a secure mind. Verse 8 of chapter 4 tells us what we should think about. Thinking correctly will also lead to peace. Finally, verse 9 of chapter 4 tells us we need to put our faith into practice. Trying to live daily for Christ will enable us to have peace and a secure mind.
Are you single minded? Submissive minded? Spiritually minded? Secure minded? Why not respond to God’s Word in faith and ask Him to give you the mind of Christ?
May God bless you richly this week! I hope to see you Wednesday!
Pastor Melissa
