Friday 29 April 2022

Psalm 117

Background

In these verses Paul continues to explain how human wisdom and earthly wisdom relate to each other. God doesn’t rely on human wisdom but rather on the work of the Spirit. Those who are spiritual can recognise God; those who aren’t followers of Jesus won’t recognise God.

There is a famous hymn by Kate Wilkinson that begins "May the mind of Christ my Saviour, live in me from day to day, By his love and power controlling all I do and say." It's quite a thought that Christians actually have the mind of Christ. Perhaps it's explained somewhat in Philippians 2:5 where believers are called to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. As disciples we don’t somehow automatically have all the insight of Jesus, but that is our calling and direction. As we mature as believers we learn more how to understand and react as Jesus would have done on earth. We are always a pale shadow, but even so we can show something of Christ to others.

To have the mind of Christ is to allow God’s Spirit to live in us and to control us. It means not reacting or responding to situations as we might usually do, but training ourselves to allow the Spirit to direct our response. In my spare time, I am a local league football referee. Saturday by Saturday I see players, managers and spectators not able to control themselves. And that used to be me,  which is not necessarily the best personality type to have as a referee. But over the years I’ve developed a way of stepping back from whatever is the confrontation, asking myself what am I meant to do in this situation, and then doing that. I’m under control. As a Christian I want to be controlled by Christ. I want to respond to every situation as a follower of Jesus should respond. I want to be guided by the Spirit. I want to fully know and experience the mind of Christ. I confess I’m still a work in progress.

To Ponder:

• Where have you experienced yourself responding to a situation in a Christ-like way that surprised you?
• Can we ever fully have ‘the mind of Christ’?
• Is this in any way linked to what John Wesley talked about as ‘Christian perfection’?

Prayer

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say. (StF 504)