Mind Transplant
By Elin Henderson
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”
Philippians 2:5
By Elin Henderson
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”
Philippians 2:5
Most days I find myself in need of a brain transplant! One that could learn this language I have been studying for the past five years, for instance! But, more so than that, I find myself in desperate need of a mind transplant. Our minds, where the majority of our problems exist, truly need to be transformed daily, as Scripture reminds us. How much time do we waste worrying about the “if only’s” (our past), the “what now’s” (the present) and throw in good old anxiety for the future? We spend so much time considering, that we never get into action.
What was Christ’s mind then, this mind we are told to take hold of in Philippians 2? Verse 6 says, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
“He considered it not…but took on…” Either we jump to action before considering or just plain sit there considering and never get around to action! How we need minds that don’t worry about the logistics, but just step out in faith and press forward fulfilling the will of God.
What kind of action did Christ’s mind lead Him to? Was it just a bed of roses, a few charity jobs here and there? No, it was servanthood and sacrifice. If we read on in Philippians 2, we see where He ended up, on a cross! I begin to see the suffering and sacrifice and all of the sudden I start wondering if maybe this mind transplant is worth it. Oh, but it is! Like Christ we aren’t seeking earthly rewards, but heavenly!
This mind transplant may not make a lot of sense from a human perspective, but makes plenty of sense from God’s perspective. May we all choose to undergo a true mind transplant and stop considering and start serving!
GOING DEEPER:
1. In what specific do you need a mind transplant? Do you focus too much on your past, present or future instead of living and acting in today?
2. How can you stop considering your options and start serving others?
FURTHER READING:
Philippians 2:6-11
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to nine-year-old Callie and seven-year-old Elias.
