Great Minds and All

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any of man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:14-16

Perhaps you have been so in sync with someone - a friend, sibling or spouse - that you think the same things at the same time, or purchase one another matching greeting cards or get matching tattoos without consulting one another. I think this week’s passage is about being in sync with God. The final sentence “But we have the mind of Christ” is a sure statement that we share the great mind of Christ, but what does the mean? What fills the mind of Christ?

Philippians 4:8 tells us some of what should fill our minds - whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. What else filled the mind of Christ? Jesus focused, almost exclusively on others - Widows and orphans (James 1:27), the bereaved (Luke 7:11 and John 11:17-35), the hungry and thirsty (Matthew 14:16-19), sinners and those are the margins of respectable society. These are also the things that should have our attention. 

On occasion Jesus would slip away to have a time of solitude, to talk privately with His Father and to be recharged for the work that was still to be done. This too is something that should fill our minds - the need to get away to talk privately with the Father, to learn from the Son and seek the leading of the Spirit.

I am not saying that having the mind of Christ is easy, because it is not, at least not while we are in this world where we are bombarded with half truths and lies, where few seek to be noble and the definitions of right and pure can change from person to person. Where we can be overwhelmed by the needs and injustices around us and the idea of being alone and quiet can be terrifying. But the effort to fully embrace the mind of Christ that we have already been given will be worth it.

Someday, Lord willing - we will think the same thoughts God thinks at the same time He thinks them - Great minds and all. 

A Prayer
Father, thank you for giving us the mind of Christ. Help us to embrace all that means for us in the here and now. Give us the courage to slip away and be alone and quiet in Your presence. When we feel overwhelmed by the pain and injustice around us, help us to see the one small thing we can do to make a difference. May we become addicted to filling our minds with good thoughts - so that we will be of the same mind with one another and You. In the name of Jesus - Amen.