The power plant of the Christian; a spiritually transformed mind. There is No Mind like a Christ Mind! Romans 12:2 Say’s do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. I don’t want God to have these words with me that he had with the church at Ephesus in revelation 2:4 “I have this against you that you have left your first love.”

I was reminded on the day before preparing this message of how important the word of God is to the development of relationships in the family. I shared openly ,with my wife, what I had been learning from the scriptures about having the mind of Christ.  We had an exciting exchange of what scriptures where saying to us. It had a unifying effect on us and it convicted my spirit.

I would like to share with you , in upcoming blog posts“Seven Characteristics of a Christ Centered Mind.”

1.    The Mind of Encouragement  (verse 1)

“1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any  affection and compassion,”

Encouragement is multi-faceted. It at times comforts the sick or emotionally hurting.  Encouragement also helps to redirect those that are going in the wrong direction. Christ both healed the sick and turned tables when folks where selling in the Temple .Mat.21:13 “It states “is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers den.” Hebrew 3:13 say’s that we should “encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. “

There is a strong urgency to be encouragers in fact it takes courage to be one. I teach art at a local school, one of my students became tired of working on one of my assignments . Half way through, they asked if they could stop and hand in the project the way it was. I thought for a moment, what if in life they didn’t complete their assignments.   So I said “Sure give me half of your assignment and I will give you half of your grade.”

That was enough of an incentive to complete the full assignment.  They actually relieved an excellent grade for the good work submitted. We are like this at times. We need a little encouragement to do things that will benefit us. Be that encourager; help some along both with a soft word, a helping hand or a firm word to redirect. Ask yourself, how would Christ do it?

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Today we looked at different translations of Psalms 131

Psalm 131
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.

2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.

Here are other translations:

New American Standard Translation

King James Version

Amplified

New Living Translation

Which is your favorite translation?

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The devotional today suggested WRITING DOWN THE  STUFF WE ARE FRETTING OVER AND PRAY.

So I want to share that with you today also. I am going to do it as soon as I  finish this post. See the devotional I read today below. No need to compare lists but we can keep praying for each other

A Worry List.

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Overcommitters Anonymous

By Joe Stowell

“Teach us to number our days . . . that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:12

I am hopelessly prone to overcommitting myself. Is anyone else out there a little too quick to say “Yes” to every request? Let’s start our own little group—Overcommitters Anonymous. We can have weekly OCA meetings. We’ll become experts at saying “No.” Wanna join?

As I get a little older I realize, like Moses did in Psalm 90, that my time on this earth is limited. It is quickly passing. And that means that, more than ever, I want to be strategic and purposeful about where and how I am spending my time. It’s not because I feel like I’m better than others, or that some tasks and opportunities are beneath me. It’s just that I have this long list of goals I’d love to accomplish, people I want to invest in, and dreams I want to see realized—and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time.

Moses was gut-level honest about this reality. He says, “The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength” (Psalm 90:10). This from a guy who didn’t even lead God’s people out of Egypt until he was in his eighties! Moses goes on to say of our years: “yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.”

I suppose old Moses may have just been having a bad day when he wrote this, but I suspect, more accurately, that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Moses had one of those wake-up-to-your-own-mortality kind of moments where he became aware, in a fresh way, that he wasn’t going to be around forever. And so his heart’s cry was very simple: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (v.12). In other words, “Lord, I need you to clearly show me how to use the time that I have left.”

Which brings me back to my overcommitment problem.

I’ve found that often I am afraid to say “No” to people because I have a fear of offending them. I like being liked. I like being available. I like being helpful, and so I cringe at the idea of disappointing someone who has asked for my help. Another committee to serve on. Another project to lead. Another trip. Another . . . well, you get the idea.

For me, the antidote to my fear of offending people is cultivating a deeper fear—the fear of neglecting some of the core ministries and responsibilities that God has entrusted to me. Like, for example, my family. I want to be sure that my outside commitments don’t pull me away from my responsibilities as a husband, a son, a father, and a grandfather. If I have a healthy fear of neglecting my family, it will eclipse the lesser fear of potentially offending someone who has asked for a chunk of my time that would overcommit me.

After 18 years at The Moody Bible Institute, I’m now on staff at a church again, and I want to be sure that I am maximizing my effectiveness to the church that God has called me to. So, my Sundays are not free for “pulpit supply” the way they used to be, and more of my speaking time and energy is reserved for my church. If I overcommit myself, I risk neglecting that vital ministry.

So, maybe we don’t need a meeting of  “Overcommitters Anonymous” after all. We simply need to personalize the perspective and prayer of Moses as we consider every opportunity in terms of the priorities of our fleeting lives. Besides, I really shouldn’t commit to another meeting!

YOUR JOURNEY…

* Do you have a tendency to overcommit yourself? What fears prevent you from saying “No” to certain people or opportunities?
* What are some of your core responsibilities and commitments? How are those affected by overcommitment on your part?
* Take a few minutes to read through and then personalize Psalm 90. Spend some extra time praying the prayer of Moses, “Lord, teach me to number my days aright, that I might gain a heart of wisdom.”

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In the devotional I read to day I was reminded that regardless how many books I read to prepare for a workshop or keynote on Team Building that I should always start first with my bible.

Take a few minutes to read this powerful devotional and illustration, especially appreciated by sport fans, on Team Building that leads to Team Work.

The Right People.

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Just click on this link to get the handout.

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