For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:9
I believe that one of the most difficult challenges for the believer is to have the mind of Christ, that is, to try to align our thoughts as much as possible with those of God, despite being aware of how much higher they are. How many thoughts crowd our mind, especially when we are alone! Sometimes these thoughts trouble us, other times they cheer us up. Yet Paul reminded us that “now we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b). The quality of our thoughts reveals what we are or what we have inside us. If we are believers, our thoughts reveal our faith, even if we don't openly declare what we think, our attitudes and actions reveal it. All the more so from those who are called to be guides, right attitudes are expected as a consequence of thoughts aligned with those of God. Let's consider what is narrated about the report of the spies sent to Jericho by Moses. It is very evident that, although they had all witnessed the same events, what is reported is very different. “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it. But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we”” (Numbers 13:30-31).
Caleb calmed those who had sided against Moses and, with a different attitude from the other ten envoys, driven by his faith, declared himself certain that the enterprise would succeed. There are no insurmountable obstacles for a true leader! We also note how a single word can build or destroy, instill courage or sow fear. In Caleb's case it also saved his life and allowed him to enter Canaan. Thinking is a discipline; we must train ourselves to do it in a certain way, and above all, we must accustom our faith to be sure and to remain firm in the promises of the Lord. A human mind with the ability to think well is like a diamond mine that never runs out. Guides in particular should always have positive thoughts, because those who have discouraging thoughts need encouragement and will not be able to motivate others. The church has always had good thinkers and still has a great need for them. Good thinkers are those who solve problems, have constructive ideas and always have hope that things can improve. They try to be a stimulus for those who follow them and also take inspiration from the people who follow them. You can't avoid thinking, sooner or later the contingent reality calls us to think, to reflect in order to make a decision.
Thinking, however, takes time and if you want to find a good idea, you have to look for it. A simple way to fix your thoughts is to write down what you are thinking. Once you have finished thinking, you need to have someone to share it with, and a guide shares it with his team: he expresses his thoughts and listens to those of others, because together you can go much further than alone. John Maxwell, world-renowned leadership expert, has created a winning formula: “The right thought plus the right people, in the right environment at the right time, for the right reason, generates a right result”. It is clear that all these conditions rarely occur together. Great ideas are generally very ambitious, they aim high, but they must be grounded in reality and shared with others. Those who serve and love the Lord have an active mind, they think of great deeds. To reach these objectives it's also necessary to think and reflect on how and what to organize. I believe that good thinking consists of various specific abilities, but to become a good thinker means developing these abilities to the maximum of one's potential, trying to elevate our thoughts to those of God, and not vice versa. And for this reason a good dose of humility and a great awareness of one's limits are fundamental.
Weekly Bible Reading Plan #10
March 03, Numbers 26-28; Mark 8
March 04, Numbers 29-31; Mark 9:1-29
March 05, Numbers 32-34; Mark 9:30-50
March 06, Numbers 35-36; Mark 10:1-31
March 07, Deuteronomy 1-3; Mark 10:32-52
March 08, Deuteronomy 4-6; Mark 11:1-18
March 09, Deuteronomy 7-9; Mark 11:19-33
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