Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Philippians 2:5-7

Have you considered the operations of the mind? The battlefield of thoughts and ideas which could be good or bad. Who controls your thoughts? Is it society, tradition, governments, family or your desires? What projects are you undertaking or hope to undertake in future? Do you think your thoughts should solely represent your feelings or that of society or both. Mind is defined as the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, it is also described as the faculty of consciousness and thoughts. Let us reflect on the acronym M.I.N.D, “Memory In Negotiating Drive” with the scriptures concerning Christ.

Christ had a mind of His but in negotiating He had humility. Once thoughts are formulated through negotiations they have to be acted upon. As Christ negotiated in humility with the Father, He also acted upon the outcome in obedience even though the outcome was a humiliating experience in the eye of man and society. In essence, Christ did not consider his position as being equal with God in his negotiations. He did this because of the love he had for the Father. Contrasting this to the story of Naaman, a general in the army who had leprosy. Naaman received instructions from the prophet to bath in the River Jordan as treatment. Naaman refused because of pride, perceiving his status as above the prescribed plan. However he was persuaded by his servants to obey the prophet’s instructions. He did and was healed (2 Kings 51-14). In the interaction Naaman used the phrase, “I thought” indicating that what he had in mind was not what the prophet instructed.

The question for you is, as you negotiate, who or what factors do you consider? Are your thoughts that of Naaman, peoples opinions or God led? Jesus stated “If you love me you will obey my commandments” Jesus loved the Father, negotiated based on the Father’s commandments and not his desires, thoughts or the opinions of society. Do you love Jesus? If you do, align your negotiations with His instructions. Look at the apostle Paul. When he was Saul, he had a mind to destroy the disciples but on meeting Christ, he asked, What do you want me to do? On receiving the new instructions, he changed his direction in humility to serve Christ.

What is Jesus saying about relationships, finance, family, the church, elders, children society? Get to know and understand His commandments in these areas or other areas that may be challenging and determine to negotiate based on His principles. Remember what the scriptures say, “My people perish for lack of knowledge” therefore seek knowledge and once this is acquired, allow the transformation process to continue in humility and obedience to the Lord in your daily life. Amen

Dr Rex