DAY 23

WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET?

MATT CIARAMITARO, GENERATIONS PASTOR, THE WOODS CHURCH

“What was your mindset?” It’s probably one of the most common questions a reporter might ask someone. Whether it’s an athlete who made a spectacular comeback in the championship game, or a survivor who overcame tremendous odds to get through a disaster. We want to know the thought process that guided their decisions and determined their belief in what could be.

The truth is, in each and every situation, we carry with us a mindset. Whether it’s determining your calendar, interacting with your family, setting goals, or even attending church. We carry with us a set of beliefs that determine our trajectory.

Go ahead, ask yourself what your mindset is for the upcoming day. Actually pause here for a moment and answer the question sincerely. Unless you are a “super Christian”, we are usually prone to think of our own personal success and how we can do our best. It’s just our natural flesh taking over. That natural mindset might not even be bad, and I’d bet you had some pretty good and productive thoughts. But let’s ask ourselves an even better question. What does God want your mindset to be today? Actually pause here for a moment and answer the question sincerely. (Congrats, you are on your way to becoming a super Christian!)

Were your thoughts similar, or did you find yourself thinking of yourself less and others more? Were you convicted by the discrepancy between the two answers?

Paul writes in Philippians 2 that if our faith means anything at all, if it has any real value, or any genuine evidence that the Spirit Is actually in us (pastor Matt’s paraphrase, (Phil. 2:1-4), then we should all have the same mindset. In other words, in order for us to follow Christ, our mindsets can’t be about us, but they need to be about one another first.

In Philippians 2:5 he writes, In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. I may not know what your mindset is, but I do know what it should be! It should be the exact, same, replicated mindset of Jesus himself! What was his mindset exactly? Paul gives us a beautiful description in Philippians 2:6-8:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing, by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!

According to Paul what does it look like to have the mindset of Jesus?

  • Humility

  • Not looking to gain his own advantage

  • A servant

  • Submissive obedience to the Father

    This is the mindset to be replicated as we go through our day! If
    you think about it, those pro-athletes and survivors probably didn’t come up with a new mindset on the spot. When pressed in tough circumstances, the mindset they have built over time just came out. Today, train yourself to have the mind of Christ! One last time, think about your day and the mindset you will take with you.

    PRAYER

    Jesus, forgive me for thinking of myself first, for justifying my selfish outlook, and neglecting to be a servant. Thank you for being the perfect example of the way I should think. Holy Spirit, empower
    me to model my life after the humble mindset of Jesus. Show me specifically how I can put others before myself today. Amen.