August 18, 2005

Have faith in God –
Though deep the shadows fall;
Have faith in God –
Beneath the gloomy pall;
Have faith in God –
His love will light it all.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

Kate Barclay Wilkinson, 1859-1928

    Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8.

In the home Christ-likeness is kindness;
In business it is honesty;
Toward the weak it is burden-bearing;
Toward the sinner it is evangelism;
Toward ourselves it is self-control;
Toward God it is reverence, love, and worship.
                                            ~ Author Unknown

    Each day our prayer life should include the request that the Holy Spirit reveal the mind of Christ to us. As we mature in the Christian faith, our personalities and characters should take on Christ like qualities. To have a Christ-like mind, it is vitally important that we nourish our minds daily with quality materials--things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praise-worthy (Philippians 4:8).
    Kate Wilkinson was a member of the Church of England and actively involved in the Keswick Deeper Life Movement. The hymn first appeared in the Golden Bells Hymnal, published in 1925.
    As a suggestion for your devotional times, take the six prayers of this hymn and use one each day to meditate upon as a preparation for your worship on the Lord's Day. What does it mean to have the "mind of Christ", the "Word of God", the "peace of God", the "love of Jesus", the strength of Jesus, and the beauty of Jesus in your life? How would these Christ-like virtues effect your daily living? How would they influence your worship of God?

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

Have Faith in God by H.M.S. Richards, Used by Permission