"You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
The
words of Jesus often hit me right between the eyes. Calling them
profound is an understatement, but that’s exactly what they are:
truthful, weighty, thought-provoking. When Jesus speaks these words to Peter: "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33), they
are a pretty severe rebuke, but to Peter's credit, he was
trying to do a noble thing. Jesus tells the Disciples the time
of His death is near, and Peter steps in to say, "Don’t say that!" He
doesn’t want to hear any talk about Jesus being defeated. That isn’t the
plan. That can’t happen, and Peter isn’t afraid to set Jesus straight.
But
as is often the case, Jesus isn’t swayed by human emotions. He
understands where Peter is coming from, but He can’t accept his way of
thinking. It's human. It’s short-sighted and counter-productive. Jesus came to teach
and demonstrate the love of God. That was His purpose, His destiny, His
way of telling the world that God's mercy extends to all. To put it
mildly, taking that away made no sense to Jesus. "Are you being serious right now, Peter?" (He actually uses stronger
words: “Get behind me, Satan!”)
I know Jesus has spoken these words to me
too, in a variety of ways. And while there is always that element of rebuke in
bringing my thinking into alignment with His, there is also freedom in knowing the burdens of my heart are of little
significance in light of God’s perfect ways. What I see as hardship,
confusion, failure, pain, loss, and negativity, He sees as opportunities
for grace, redemption, glory, love, and hope.
Don't wait for the violent wind storm to force those stubborn ways of thinking to fall. Don't wait for the rebuke when Jesus has to say, "Are you being serious right now?" God usually speaks to us far before it gets to that point, but whether we act sooner or later, letting go is an act of faith. The mind of man is unreliable, lacking in understanding and proper perspective. But the mind of God is ALWAYS perfect. The things of God are good, intentional, and higher than our own could ever be.
In what ways are you allowing your mind to dwell on the things of man? Do you need a heavenly perspective? It can be tough to let go of our emotions and what we think is right or best, but what God is up to is so much better than we can even imagine.
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all who believe in Christ can see and
reflect the glory of the Lord. And He
makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (paraphrase mine)
