Today we’re talking about ‘mindsets’ – mindsets we might have, ways of thinking and processing the world around us, our worldviews, attitudes, assumptions, even our beliefs about the meaning of life. We can think of a ‘mindset’ as a way of thinking that influences how we act.
Paul talks about a certain mindset today in Philippians (2:5), the mindset of Jesus: ‘In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.’ Other translations say ‘let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus,’ (KJV) or ‘have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ’ (ESV).
Three different mindsets to walk through today: natural instinct, growth mindset, & Jesus mindset
Natural instinct
What is our natural instinct?
Often when we do something without thinking, our first thought, examples: if you trip and put your hand out to stop your fall, when someone asks you a question about your opinion on something and you respond with the first thing that comes to mind, might also talk about when we need to make a big-life decision – using our natural instinct, our ‘gut feel.’
Our natural instincts are for survival aren’t they, survival instincts for self-preservation. The first thing that comes to mind, what we act on when we’re under pressure, when we don’t have a lot of time to figure out what to do.
We can get into trouble with our natural instinct at times… for example when you’re driving out on the highway, and you have other people ie the kids in the car, and someone cuts in front of you without indicating and you let out a few words of frustration about that – you might forget who’s in the car for a moment, saying something you didn’t mean to say in from of them! It happens doesn’t it!
And we can also go very well when we use our natural instinct… one example is when you greet a loved one who you haven’t seen for a while, and you embrace them and you’re sharing a laugh and the joy of being together one again. That’s a good one.
It’s interesting with natural instincts how when we use them, everything else around us seems to fade away, it’s only the moment we’re in that matters > you can see how sometimes that’s a good way to operate, sometimes not such a good idea.
Our natural instincts are a bit unreliable aren’t they, sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn’t, that’s where we can use mindsets to help us have a framework to act on, not only going by what we feel in the moment but considering what’s going to help us and other people in the longer term, maybe stepping back and looking again at the same situation once strong feelings have passed…
Growth mindset
What’s this all about? Education framework, contrasted with ‘fixed’ mindset. ‘Growth’ as in can change, grow, develop, ‘fixed’ as in this it how it is, stays the same over time.
Some examples of fixed & growth mindsets, thinking about this in terms of learning:
Fixed: ‘I don’t like to be challenged.’ Growth: ‘challenges help me grow.’
Fixed: ‘I stick to what I know.’ Growth: ‘I like to learn new things.’
Fixed: ‘When someone else succeeds I am jealous of them.’ Growth: ‘Other’s successes inspire me to go after my own.’
We probably need a balance of both don’t we, some things are fixed and some things can change, but this is about perspective, attitude, a way to approach learning. Thinking about what’s possible rather than just what is.
This mindset is used most often for education, but I’m really curious about applying this to how we read the bible, how we get to know Jesus, how we can grow in faith and share our faith, whatever stage of life we’re in.
Jesus mindset
What’s the Jesus-mindset? Two main things Paul says about it today:
He made himself nothing > like a servant, human likeness, appearance as a man.
He humbled himself, giving up his life, as his Father called him to do, ‘Your will be done,’ Jesus says as he prays the night before he is killed, he knows it’s coming and still he prays, heavenly father your will be done, not mine.’ Incredible. Ultimate humility > and that’s something we’re going to hear more about on Maundy Thursday, Jesus’ ultimate humility on the road to the cross.
So that’s what this mindset involves according to Paul, but what’s the result of this mindset for Jesus?
In human terms, not a great result > he is not given what he’s due by the people, worse still he’s put to death by the authorities. This is not a good advertisement for being a Christian! Very hard to sell the idea that we need to be humble, we need to make ourselves nothing… These are not our natural instincts are they! They’re direct opposites of our natural instincts, really going against what every bone in our body tells us to do. Not a good result in human terms, but in heavenly terms it’s very different:
He is exalted, elevated to the highest place > not by human strength or power but by humility, lowering himself so we could be lifted up > this is the key point for us, we get to be lifted up by his work, his saving grace. That’s the real ‘ad’ for Christianity isn’t it: he made himself low so you could be lifted up.
Jesus is very ‘on-brand’ today when he rides into town on a borrowed donkey > like last week Jesus goes forhumility over pride once again, humility is the key to the kingdom.
Here’s a line of questioning for us today to reflect on, to think about: as we approach Holy Week, this most humble of weeks:
What if we could follow Jesus with the same mindset he had?
What if, like Jesus, our natural instinct was to humble ourselves for the benefit of others – not only others we like but others we don’t like, others who don’t like us!
What if we had a growth mindset of searching to grow in our relationship with Jesus and with other people? What if we were searching for more people to know about the good news of Jesus, planting seeds to grow the kingdom of God?
And what if we could not only follow the example of this Jesus-mindset, but what if we could receive him into our hearts and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to know him and be more like him, as ambassadors of Christ, as vessels for his work in the world?
Going back to the KJV translation, ‘let this mind be in you’ it says. This is not only something external to us, something we follow, it’s part of who we are, on the inside. Jesus gives himself to us, as the ultimate example to follow but also as the only one who can save us, redeem us, restore us and who enables in us – by the work of the Holy Spirit – growth in faith, reaching in to our own hearts and minds as well as reaching out to others.
Let’s be people all about that this Easter, let’s be church all about that, living in and out of the same mindset as Jesus, our humble king who gives his life for us.
Lord we thank you for the natural gifts and abilities we have, that we can learn and grow whatever stage of life we’re in, most of all that you reach us inside and out. Lead us to follow you and to receive you, make your presence known among us this coming week as we get closer to the cross. In your name we pray, Amen.
Tom Kitson 