Jump Start # 1423

Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”

  Thinking like Jesus. That’s tough. In the setting of this passage, Paul addresses the selfless servant spirit that must be manifested among brethren if unity, compassion and love have any hope of existing. Paul, as he often does, points out what not to do—the negative; and then he focuses upon what we ought to do– the positive.

• Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit (3)
• Do not merely look out for your own personal interests (4)

The positive thoughts are:

• Regard one another as more important than yourself (3)
• Look also for the interests of others (4)
• Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ (5)

Some versions use the expression, “have the mind of Christ.” Thinking like Jesus—that’s what it comes down to. Boy, that’s hard. He was always right, and there are days that we are rarely right. He was pure, sometimes we are not. He was considerate, compassionate and generous. And, we can be just the opposite. More of our bumps and trouble with one another comes from not thinking like Jesus. We fuss, argue and get upset with one another. We say things that we shouldn’t say. We get our feelings hurt. We feel left out. We think we deserve a bit more honor or praise than we got. We want a shout out in our direction. We want a bit of recognition for what we’ve done. We see others getting more attention for doing less than what we have done. Our feathers get ruffled. The pride rises within us. We immediately stop thinking like Jesus and turn to being selfish. We think the three greatest people are “Me, myself and I.” And when we stop thinking like Jesus, we stop acting like Jesus. Pride and selfishness turns us into being greedy, stingy, closed to others. We stop being there for others. We focus too much attention to self.

The principle that Paul introduced in this section was, “being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” This is achieved by thinking  outward not inward. This is accomplished by thinking like Jesus.

Have you ever noticed that no one ever asked Jesus how He was doing? The Lord was always there for others. When the disciples were fearful, the Lord calmed them down. When their thoughts were getting selfish He brought them back to earth. When they lacked faith, He was there for them. He fed them. He calmed the storms for them. He answered their questions. He taught them. He did these things to show that He was God on earth. He did these things to accomplish His goal. He looked out for others. He thought about others.

This spirit of Jesus must first be expressed by shepherds in the church today. A selfish shepherd will not devote the time nor the energy to lead the flock nor tend to their needs. Leadership  in God’s church is not accomplished by sitting behind a large desk and barking out orders, but rather, it is by being among the people. It is seeing the teenager who is having a hard time fitting in. Bullied by some, tempted by others, he wants to be a disciple of Christ but he’s pulled and challenged. The selfless shepherd will see that and spend some time with that teenager and help him. The shepherd will see a young family that is so busy. The babies keep them up at night, work is demanding and a hassle, they feel compelled to do more at church, but they are stretched thin. The selfless shepherd will understand that and encourage them and offer them some helpful ideas. The shepherd will also notice the widow who is alone. She is regular in her attendance and has a smile on her face but he is concerned about her. She is worried about her finances. She often has to make daily decisions that are hard for her. The selfless shepherd will spend time with her and be a friend that she can trust and rely upon.

That selfless spirit, coming first from Jesus and today, from the shepherds of the church will influence others. They will take time for others. They will be there for others. They may give up a Saturday because someone needs them. They will take time during their lunch to run to the hospital to visit someone. They will see after others.

Soon, that selfless, generous spirit becomes the norm in a congregation. It is expressed, felt and shared among everyone. It becomes contagious. New people recognize it immediately. And what happens, is exactly what Paul was driving at, the church pulls together as one. They stand united. They have one mind, one spirit and are intent upon one purpose. That purpose is pleasing God.

It all starts with having that mind of Jesus. Thinking like Jesus. Thinking less of self and more of others. Praying more for others than for self. Doing more for others than for self. It comes from realizing that each of us needs one another. It comes from understanding that together, we are God’s family. No one is left out and no one is left behind.

It’s a beautiful thing when you find a congregation like that. It doesn’t just happen. It is the result of folks who have taken on the mind of Christ. They are thinking like Jesus. And when this is missing, it is so easy to see. Tension, indifference, gossip, back talking and a competitive spirit dominates. The leaders receive pot shots. Everyone becomes suspicious. Everyone tries to get their own stake in the ground and make their own claim. There prevails a “us” and “them” spirit. Internal division happens rapidly. Eventually, external division takes place. It’s all so obvious. Get rid of the pride. Stop the selfishness. Start thinking like Jesus.

The mind of Jesus. Spiritual. Pure. Good. Prayerful. Thoughtful. Reflective. Deep. Compassionate. Kind. Godly. Helpful. Selfless. Serving. Those are just a few of the words that define the mind of Christ. The way He thought was the way that He was. And so it will be for us, when we start thinking like Jesus.

Think like Jesus…how about starting right now!

Roger