The Same Mind

Please read Philippians  2:5-11

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus" (verse 5)

Have you read Facebook recently? Skimmed through Instagram? Peeked at Twitter? Have you sat in a restaurant and listened to the conversations flowing around you? Have you tuned into the news? Have you noticed, the way I have, that many of us, including me, are convinced that we are RIGHT.  We believe that our judgment, our conclusions, and our actions are right, and those who disagree with us are WRONG.  And we fail to love.

Sometimes, in our tweets, our posts, and our conversations, we fail to see that the person in front of us, who we judge to be WRONG, is a child of God, created in God's image, and beloved.  Instead of seeing a person, we see an issue.  We see what we believe to be WRONG, and we fail to love.

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."

As part of the work I do, I am privileged to travel through the Annual Conference. I meet many United Methodists, and I can tell you, we do not all agree.  And yet, even so, I have been welcomed everywhere I go.  Everywhere I go, people are feeding the hungry. They are teaching children about God. They are reaching out to their communities to share the light of Christ. Everywhere I go, people are being the CHURCH. 

To me, having the same mind that was in Christ Jesus does not mean that we agree.  It means that we love the way Christ loves.  It means that we empty ourselves of thoughts of ourselves, and we follow in the footprints of Christ, even to a cross.  We will always fail to love until we see the PERSON in front of us.

"Let the same mind be in you that was in in Christ Jesus."

Prayer: Creating and sustaining God, help us to walk in humility, dying with Christ, and living a new life.  Help us to love all of those around us, seeing our brothers and sisters through your eyes.  Forgive our judgment of others and our pride in ourselves, and free us for joyful obedience.  We prayer in your son's name, Amen.