Pause; Ask; Listen (Week 6: The Mind of Christ )

 

Introduction

This Lent, we are joining forces with our friends at First United Methodist Church, Wadesboro, Calvary Episcopal Church, and First Baptist Church, Wadesboro to offer each congregation's unique perspective on the same overarching theme.  That theme is: Pause; Ask; Listen.  As part of this theme, we here at First Presbyterian are offering up a weekly opportunity to pause what we are doing to read a piece of scripture, ask a questions or two relating to our daily lives, and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit as a piece of music plays.

This week's reading comes from Philippians 2, in which Paul invites communities of faith to be of the same mind as Christ and empty ourselves enough to let him help us make painful sacrifices if that it what it takes to follow God's will.

Scriptures

Philippians 2:5-11

⁵Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
⁶   who, though he was in the form of God,
          did not regard equality with God
          as something to be exploited,
⁷   but emptied himself,
          taking the form of a slave,
          being born in human likeness.
     And being found in human form,
⁸        he humbled himself
          and became obedient to the point of death —
          even death on a cross.

⁹   Therefore God also highly exalted him
          and gave him the name
          that is above every name,
¹⁰  so that at the name of Jesus
          every knee should bend,
          in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹  and every tongue should confess
          that Jesus Christ is Lord,
          to the glory of God the Father.

 

Option 1

What thoughts, doubts, fears, etc. hinder me from being willing to follow Jesus to the cross?

Option 2

In times of trial, how can I resolve to be of the same mind as Christ and follow God's will while trusting in the great morning to come?