Put on the Mind of Christ (especially as the body ages)

By Elizabeth Clark

Several months ago, I celebrated my 56th birthday. Where in the world has the time gone? How could I possibly be 56 YEARS OLD? :-)  I don't FEEL 56. I don't THINK 56 (whatever that is supposed to mean). I am an official "Senior Citizen."

I suppose birthdays give us opportunities to do some soul searching, reflecting, and self examinations. For as long as I can remember, I have heard "seniors" say things like: "My memory isn't as it used to be." "I've got old-timers disease." "Why, I think I'm losing my mind." 

You've all heard these lines, and perhaps some of you have even said one or two of them yourself. Focusing strictly upon the spiritual piece of this topic, are we not invoking a curse upon ourselves when we speak such things? Remember in Proverbs 18:21 we learn the power of life and death are held in our tongues? Would not this truth apply when we declare such negative words over our lives?   

This season in my life is perhaps the best one of all. I thought many other seasons were "the best," yet here I am saying THIS is the BEST. I'm emotionally, spiritually, and physically more fit than ever before. I'm blessed, blessed, blessed. So as I consider being a full-fledged Senior, I must take a hard look at what being a senior means.

No doubt, the natural order of things makes it very clear that aging brings about a digression which ends with certain death. We have our days numbered before passing on into eternity. But do we have to look at the aging process in only a negative way? Can we look for another possible avenue? Are we missing something? Settling for? Surrendering?

As I thought of my own aging, it seemed as though I were hearing God's whisper in my ear saying: "Daughter, take another look at My Word. Discover more about what it means to have the Mind of Christ." So that is just what I did!

The "mind of Christ" has always been for us Christians understood in the spiritual sense of who we are in Christ. If we are to have the mind of Christ, we embrace godly values, develop a Christlike character and nature, and we set a standard of living based upon the model Jesus laid out before us when He physically walked this earth. Yet, is there more to having the mind of Christ? I think there is a lot more.

For years, I believed some very dumb things about myself. I was the queen of self-abased beliefs about who I was. Oh, to the casual onlooker, I might have appeared to be a positive, happy woman, yet in that private chamber of my soul – that place our God sees so well – it was not a pretty sight.

While growing up, my parents tried to shock me into more responsible behavior by saying things such as: "The older you get, the dumber you act." Or, "You are such a scatterbrained kid!" Do you know for years I truly believed that about myself? I knew how awful those statements made me feel, and I was successful in never passing such negative declarations along to my own children, praise God.

So here in 2001, at 56, I am digging down into God's Word to discover other aspects of having a mind like Jesus, and I'm absolutely thrilled and excited at what I'm learning. Let us think for a moment about other possibilities of thinking like Christ. What would having the mind of Christ LOOK like in the physical sense? (See 1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 4:13)

Scripture declares Jesus made all that is. John 1:3 says nothing was made apart from Him. What kind of a mind must Jesus possess to make from nothing, ALL that is? We cannot possibly comprehend such brilliance can we? Yet, in our finite and limited boundaries God has set for us, there must be more for us to appropriate than for which most of us simply settle.

So I am doing something else now that I have turned 56; I am asking Jesus to help me to have His mind in the physical sense.

• I want my mind to line up with His.
• I want my memory to become as keen and as sharp as He wishes it to be.
• I want to learn more and more new things each day.
• I want to remember Scripture as never before.
• I want good recall of past events and experiences.
• I want to remember the names of new people I meet and make them feel valued.
• I want wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to reign supreme within me.
• I want my brain cells to stay vibrant and healthy as I age.
• I want THE MIND OF CHRIST operating in all aspects of my life!

So as God challenges me to become more and more like His Son in my spiritual and emotional life, I am taking a new look at growing and stretching my mind as well.

I want to encourage you to take your own look at this subject. What do YOU believe about your own mind? What have you said about your ability to comprehend and learn? Are you cursing your mind? Why not do something else? Dump that old belief system the world or you have given yourself, and pick up a new and exciting alternative. Why not have the Mind of Christ from this day on?

LORD, thank You for giving us a perfect model in Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for gifting us with ALL that is good and blessed. Help us to live into our fullest potential as Your children. Keep us lined up with Your Word. We are so sorry for believing that which is false and ungodly about ourselves. We confess that we have not understood Your ways very well, but now we are so glad You give us new days and more opportunities to succeed. Give us a fresh vision of who we are in Christ, and let us too, bless our future as we age. Thanks for giving us THE MIND OF CHRIST!

Blessings, Elizabeth...

Liz Clark and her husband, Bob, live in the beautiful mountainous area of Northern Georgia. 

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