The Mind part 5
I know we interact with each other externally. But a LOT of our lives are internal. What we feel... what we think... so many of these things are unexpressed. At least not point for point verbally. It seems like we very rarely say exactly what we think or feel. But what's inside DOES come out. Always. In one way or another. So we need to keep an eye on what's going on inside. The inner man, if I can label it that way. And as someone who is very self-aware, I KNOW this can be hard for some people. If you ask ME why I feel the way I feel, I can probably tell you point for point. But not everybody is like that. Sometimes even "I" don't quite know why I feel the way I feel. I can usually figure it out if I want to, but, like I said, some people can't always do that. What's my point? My point is that we need to give people a break. And if you've followed my ministry for any length of time you're probably not surprised that, to me, it always comes back to compassion and understanding. In a Word... love. So to end this Rant series about HAVING the mind of Christ, and USING the mind of Christ--letting the mind of Christ that's already in us BE in us--I want to focus on using that mind on people who DON'T know that they have it. Because the truth of the matter is, you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. You can't use something that you don't know you've got. So while we're over here thinking the thoughts of God--thoughts of peace, and not of evil, the expected end that came 2,000 years ago on the cross--we need to make sure that we don't slip into judgmental territory and get on people who AREN'T thinking those thoughts. We need to have patience, and mercy, and grace. Because not everybody (perhaps not ANYBODY) is at exactly the same point of the journey that you are. So while you might have something that they need... they might not know that they need it yet. And while they might be crying for help... they might be doing it in a way that doesn't exactly make it easy to help them. Sometimes people act mad when they're scared, or hurt. See what I mean? Anger isn't always anger. And it certainly isn't always personal. I always say, "Don't take it personally, even if it is." Now you know I generally qualify this stuff. So I'm NOT saying you should put yourself in a bad position. I'm not saying you should let people use you, or abuse you. But I am saying you might should cut people some slack. If you try to shove Jesus down somebody's throat, I guarantee you they will choke on Him. If you pressure people, they tend to run FROM you instead of TO you. If you pressure people with God they will run FROM Him instead of TO Him. I like to say, in Revelation 22:17, when the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" They don't say, "Come... or else." They say, "Come and get it!" So, this mind of Christ that WE have (that we KNOW that we have) doesn't give us a free pass to condemn those that don't have it. In fact, it equips and empowers us to LOVE those people no matter what. No matter where they are in their journey. No matter what thoughts THEY think... WE can think the thoughts of love. And let those interior thoughts come out in the actions of love!