Words for Life Articles

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" Phil 2:5 NIV

In Philippians 2:5, we are encouraged to have the same mindset as Jesus Christ, who even though he was God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped or behold. It says he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, he humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus Christ through his actions, attitudes and interaction with everyone exhibited specific mindsets. As believers, being like-minded or having the same mindset as Christ means thinking, believing, behaving just the same way Christ would in every situation. Let’s take a look at some of these Christ mindsets.

Romans 12: 2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

A person with a renewed mind has a choice as to what he/she wants to do or be in life.

Paul in this scripture calls believers to a transformed life, a life that is not conformed to that of the world. I strongly believe that no one can live a transformed life without a renewed mind.

Transformation starts from the mind. The only way you and I can recognise the perfect will of God for our lives is to have a renewed mind.

Digging deep and launching into the deep is going beyond the status quo. It is going away from the way you have always done things. We see in the bible that Jesus always went beyond the status quo of His time. Why don’t you go beyond the expectations of people? They expect you to fail – be a success in what you do.

They expect you to remain dependent on them, you go ahead and be a blessing. They do not expect anything good to come from you, go ahead and be blessing anyway.

One of Jesus’ disciples said this of Him - John 1:45-46

“Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Welcome to a brand new glorious year, 2018.

This year God’s desire for us as a Church is to dig deeper into Him, His Word, His will, and a living and dynamic relationship with the precious Holy Spirit. The Lord is our treasure and pearl of great price that we have to go after this year at all costs.

Matthew 13: 44 - 46
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Colossians 1 verses 15 - 20

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

In the book of Genesis 1: 26-28 scripture says

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Man was created in the image and likeness of God, so we can relate, respond and have fellowship with Him. Man was created in the image of God so that man can reflect God’s attributes here on earth. Reflect His love, glory and holiness.

Over the years I have seen some Christians give up as they wait and believe God to break through for them in their circumstances.

I must confess I myself have been at the point of giving up on some important things that I had believed God.  With pressure from all sides, I have become discouraged and afraid, and almost given up or even given up in some areas.

I have come to realise that many give up long before the day they actually physically give up. They give up mentally long before they actually voice it out.