Mind

I am in my 3rd full day of my annual hermitage in the Sonoran Desert. Woke up just before the sun came up highlighting the beautiful hills. Had a small cup of coffee as I sang a hymn, read the Gospel of Mark and then enjoyed a chapter of a compelling book by N.T. Wright. What a great way to start ... apart from the world, alive to Christ with my mind on Him. I decided to take a short walk in the cool of the morning  and then - unknowingly - started humming a song ... I suddenly stopped and realized what I was humming. It was the theme song from Laverne & Shirley!!

Where did that come from and to have it intrude upon this place! Then, as it so often happens, I tried to get it out of my mind and it just kept coming back. Yes - we are new creatures in Christ but our minds have a ways to go to being fully transformed.

Last year when I was here in the desert the Lord asked me "what do you want me to do for you?" Down at the deepest level I wanted to know His presence. This week He has been asking me "What do you want Me to do IN you?" Two answers have been settling on me. 1) To bring upon me a regular, ongoing poverty of spirit. I can't produce this and so I look to Him to do it. 2) The other answer has been for Him to produce in me the "mind of Christ." To be able to see the world as He does, to see Him as He really is, to see myself as He sees me... It will take His transformation to accomplish this especially seeing that on such a perfect morning my mind goes to Laverne & Shirley.

Of course there are things I do that can hinder that renewal of mind and there are things we can do to encourage it and open the door to the Holy Spirit's renewing work. "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." Is. 26:13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind...." Ultimately- as I look to Him - it is the work of the Holy Spirit to create and produce the "mind of Christ."

I Cor. 2 is an encouragement. Who can understand or know the mind of God? It is the Holy Spirit, and because He dwells in me I too can have the mind of Christ. "but we have the mind of Christ."
I Cor. 2:16 There it is, by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit the mind of Christ is in me!

So Lord, let Your thoughts and heart and words explode forth in my mind that it may be filled with You today.

May the mind of Christ me Savior

Live in me from day to day

By His love and power controlling

All I do and say

(1925)

"And let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ...." Phil. 2:5