Created To BelieveSample

Jesus loves to heal the places of fragmentation in our lives so we can be whole. Whole people are Jesus thinkers. They are able to view themselves positively, see others in a healthy light, and interact with God in a life-giving present reality. When these three paradigms are whole, we can think God’s thoughts freely. 

Years ago I heard someone say that the most important gift they could give anyone is peace of mind. Freedom from anxiety, stress, and confusion is a great asset in anyone’s life. Yet, I believe Jesus takes it one step further. Not only is He the author of peace in our minds, He is the author of peaceful attitudes. Thoughts form attitudes. Attitudes direct decisions of the will. The will determines our actions. And ultimately, our actions form our consequences or rewards.

Jesus wants us to think like He thinks. One of the major aspects of this is attitude. The dictionary defines attitude as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior.” We see Jesus’s attitude clearly detailed in Philippians chapter 2. The New Living Translation of verse 5 reads this way, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” The King James Version tells us, “Let this same mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” 

So what was Christ’s attitude? What mind-set did He have that we need to implement? 

Humility. Jesus opted for an attitude of humility. Submission. He embraced a mind-set of submission to the Father. Suffering. Suffering for righteousness’ sake was embraced. The will of God was elevated. His pride and prestige were sacrificed for slavery to the will of God. Self-preservation was executed for the sake of humanity’s redemption. What an attitude! What a challenge! What a calling for us to embrace! 

Think big—believe!