The Mind of Christ

“For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”—1 Corinthians 2:16

God was present in a particularly moving way one summer morning in 1918 during a meeting at Emporia College in Kansas. Eager to recapture the spirit of that moment, some in attendance asked pastor/composer Calvin Laufer to produce a hymn. Laufer was able to compose a tune but could not find appropriate words.

A few weeks later, he shared his dilemma with colleague William Foulkes as the men rode on a train. Intrigued, Foulkes requested to see the tune. He brought the manuscript with him that day and found words flooding into his mind. After returning to Emporia, the two men completed the hymn, and the next day it was sung for the first time at morning prayers there.

The hymn took the form of a prayer of surrender, “Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord.” It was a prayer that we daily would receive the mind of Christ and think His thoughts, that He would teach us the truth and help us honor Him.

It was a prayer that recognized our hearts are His; that He would have the throne of our lives and “use us to make the earth like Heaven above”; that Jesus would take our wills and guide our lives; that we would surrender “heart, mind, and will” to Him; that through us He would fulfill His plans.

In your life, seek the mind of Christ. Seek to think His thoughts and follow His leading.

Reflection Question: Compose a prayer asking God to start a revival in your heart.