Thinking Like Jesus

After mowing some grass around the house, I returned the John Deere to its place in the shed, and later went over to talk to my husband.  Instead of receiving praise, he told me that the mower was not parked correctly, that it was blocking his scooter, and to top it off, he bluntly told me that I should start thinking like him to avoid this kind of “disaster” in the future!!!   What the hey????  I sarcastically said I was sorry, and offered to move it to the proper spot.  Luckily he wasn’t picking up my real thoughts at that particular moment, but somehow I think he got the message!  I left for town pretty quickly just to let off steam.

It was during this time of “steam release” that I got to thinking about what he said.  Not that I agreed with his approach, but being able to think like another person could come in handy.  We would be aware of what displeases someone, before venturing into hostile territory, thus avoiding potential conflicts. Or, conversely, we’d have the inside track on what they like, and could use that to our benefit.  Ah yes, if only…. While we all know how some people think, in certain scenarios, we don’t always employ that gifting. Let’s face it, it’s tedious, and if the other person isn’t thinking like you, well, why bother.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was a master at reading people’s thoughts, like I'm sure he did mine, but that’s different.  Even now, He knows our doubts, questions, and even our gripes, but he doesn’t want to think “like” us, he needs us to think like him.  Paul said this to the church at Philippi, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:1-5.

 Read that last part again.  Have the SAME mindset as Christ Jesus.  That is a powerful statement, life-changing, even world-changing, and perhaps the most important thing we can do as Christians.  We can go to church, observe religious rules and regulations, do good works and read the Bible, but if we don’t think like Jesus where are we?  The good news is, that we can all have the mind of Christ, through the power of his indwelling Holy Spirit.  If we all thought like him, we’d know exactly where to park the mower, treat our neighbors, do our jobs and so on.  Start today by asking him to direct your thoughts, that’s not to say you become robotic, but rather your own thinking is perfected by his, almost like a filter that strains out impurities. Oh what an amazing world this could be, if we all thought like Jesus. It’s possible, so start thinking!