What Would Jesus Think?

1 Peter 4:1-5, The Message – Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.

You’ve already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it’s time to be done with it for good. Of course, your old friends don’t understand why you don’t join in with the old gang anymore. But you don’t have to give an account to them. They’re the ones who will be called on the carpet—and before God himself.

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” (Lao Tzu, 3^rd Century)

Over 200 years before Lao Tzu expressed the immediately above wisdom, Peter talked about the importance of our thoughts.  Paul talked about it as well (Phil 4:8).  Jesus talked about it as well, though we miss what Jesus says because of the imperfection of translating from Greek to English.  Whenever Jesus says “repent,” what he asking for is for us to literally change our mind about something.  In fact, a proper understanding of repentance is described by Lao Tzu; it’s a change of mind that leads to a change in your words that leads to a change in your actions that leads to a change in your habits that leads to a change in your character that naturally changes your destiny.  Your thoughts are that important. 

                But how do we learn to think differently?  Peter teaches that first, you need a model of thinking and that model is Jesus.  Learn to think like Jesus and your destiny will be changed.  And here in this passage specifically, Peter points us to how Jesus thought about suffering.  Jesus thought about the redemption and impact of suffering as having a positive effect on our destiny.  The invitation is to see our own suffering in the same way.  Not getting our way helps us see that getting what we want is not the point of life.  True fulfillment comes from seeking what God wants.  But we can’t seek what God wants and what we want at the same time, though much of our suffering comes from trying to do so.  The disciples saw the Cross and saw sadness, death and the end of their hopes and dreams; Jesus saw redemption, resurrection, and fulfillment of His destiny of salvation for all.  It was the same event, but reflect on the difference between how the disciples thought about it and how Jesus thought about it. 

                The good news is that disciples eventually changed their thinking to that of Jesus.  Because they did, they fulfilled their destiny.  Paul, once an executor of followers of Jesus, changes his mind and fulfills his destiny as an apostle of apostles.  Peter, who Jesus once called “satan,” changes his mind and Jesus calls him “The Rock (over two thousand years before Dwayne Johnson 😊).”   Peter goes on to fulfill his destiny of becoming one of our first great apostles.  It all starts with thinking differently. 

                Apply this to yourself today.  Most likely, if you will examine some of your common patterns of thoughts (sometimes it’s helpful to observe the “recordings” that play repeatedly in your mind), you will discover that some of the ways you currently suffer are linked to some of the ways you currently think.  The ways in which you suffer actually give you clues to the patterns of thinking that need to change.  When you identify those patterns that require repentance, look for a Christlike thought to replace it.  It isn’t a matter of trying not to think the offending thought.  Rather, when you notice that thought popping up again, use it as a prompt to intentionally lay a more helpful thought on top of it. 

                For example, if you have become convinced that there is a particular skill that you desire but have not mastered yet, a recurring thought may be, “I’ll never be able to do this.”  When that thought pops up, use it as a prompt to recall Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Imagine strength coming from Christ through the multiple failures you have encountered from trying to master this task in the past.  Over time, this constant reframing of your experience shifts from a series of failures to a series of trainings that will eventually enable you to succeed.   You have changed your mind and your destiny.

Questions:  What is a pattern of thought that is causing you to suffer? How could you begin to replace that pattern with one that resembles how Christ would think about the same thing?

Prayer:  Highlight for me Lord the thoughts that are needlessly causing me (and possibly others in my life) to suffer.  Show me your thoughts so that I might pattern mine after yours.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for who struggle with depression today.

Song: Change Your Mind – Sister Hazel