Upgrading to a Kingdom Mindset

Tomorrow everything in my world may change. The question I ask myself is “Can I adapt to changes, or do I want to cling on to the way things have been done in the past?” It seems harder to accept new ways when I trusted the old ways, which I felt were tried and tested. But how flexible am I? Maybe others’ new ideas are inspired by the Holy Spirit for such a time as this. Am I truly ready to learn from them? Perhaps this is the beginning of a ‘new era’. As with losing loved ones, I may need to commit past relationships and ways of doing things into the hands of God the Father and say “Goodbye” to them.

As I was reading James Chapter 4, I realised that there is a need for me to constantly revisit the truth in the word of God about being humble. ‘But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” … Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you’ (James 4:6 &10).

As I was already thinking about this, I listened to a sermon which was challenging us all to upgrade to a ‘Kingdom mindset’. In relationships we are to have the same mindset as Jesus. Instead of seating ourselves in the best place at the wedding feast, we are to take the lowest place (The parable Jesus told in Luke 14:7-11). Jesus said, ‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’ (Luke 14:11).

The supreme example of humility is the Lord Jesus. ‘Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ (Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus, God the Son, was able to say we were to learn from Him. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29, KJV). He also showed us an example of loving humility of heart by washing His disciples’ dirty feet. In contrast, the disciples had demonstrated hearts full of pride by arguing about who among them was the greatest. “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”” (Luke 9:46-48).