CHRIST MINDED

I will admit my friends, that lately, (as in the past few weeks) I have not been very "Christ Minded." And by Christ minded I mean this: the things and thoughts that Christ would have...I sort of "gave up" in a way on ever seeing my heath return, and told the Lord, with a tone laced with a bit of anger, "I'm done." As I blogged last, I touched on what the Lord did with that... but I've been so focused on the carrot in front, I've neither looked at those on my left, nor those on my right, and I realized this today. One of the very biggest reasons we are here on earth is to love on others, and show Christ to others in hopes that they would see Christ in us, and that "Christ might grant them repentance" and we would all glorify Christ in that process.
Perhaps I'm too "in this" trial to be of any service to Him was my thought as of late and I allowed myself to sit back and relax in my pain, in hopes that "someday" it would be useful towards ministering to others, but in hopes of the future ministering, I forgot that ministering right now is important too. You might think this of what I'm saying..."that I am being to hard on myself, and to simply let myself be sick... and be focused on myself to get well.." Well, I too have had those thoughts, but if it is true that when we are weak, Christ is strong, then I should by definition, being displaying the strength of Christ to the world through this. I feel there have been moments where I may have touched this place, but for the most part, I've remained weak, and tired, and sick and my only prayers where prayers for my healing.
Granted, this time of trial has opened my eyes to the pains of others that I was once oblivious too, and that is part of why I know we deal with certain pains in life..but have I had a Christ like mind as I've gone through this? Not usually.
It's not a beating up of self that I'm doing here, I am simply attempting to try and see things from a different perspective, and think the way Jesus prayed in John 17 for the ones He loved, this verse hit me:
"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." vs. 24

Now, one might read this and think, "oh how sweet, Jesus wants me in heaven with Him" which in fact, is true! He does! But I also read it this way, Jesus felt pain. Jesus felt suffering. Without that, God's glory would not have been seen, and the love of Christ would not have been evident.
My husband has said many times: "but for the cross, I might forsake the faith! It's hard sometimes! But I can't when I see what He did for me in His suffering and death.."
Now, I do not take this as say, "oh great, Jesus prayed that I'd suffer too...cuz He had too" because those are human thoughts...but I do think as He spoke these words, He understood that magnitude of them, and the process by which we sometimes go through in order to "see His glory." I my friends, want to see His glory in this, right now, not someday when I'm all better, but right now in the heart of the storm. To see His majesty, His greatness, and His purposes as I go through the darkness.
Weight is lifted from suffering when we see it like this. Satan is defeated when we view our trials like this...this is not a "crap happens" situation. This is an opportunity to see God work in ways that I would not have seen Him work otherwise...this is opportunity for me be different because of what I'm going through. It's a chance to be more like Him, and it feels even more contrary to the norm to experience it while trial is still present. One thing I know: He went through it too.
And His story turned out pretty well! :)
I may not feel strong, but I can be with HIS power. I may not feel usable, but I am in His hands, I may not feel like even doing it, but anything is possible with Christ. And the truth is, without Him, I'm not capable, and without Him, this sickness, is just a sickness without purpose, but with Christ, there is purpose in all. Big words right? Not sure I even understand them myself, but it's what He told me to say. What I'm getting at here, is that our minds not a slave to our circumstances...they should be slaves to Christ, and all things good, all things lovely, all things pure, all things holy...those are things of the mind of Christ so our fear, anger, resentment, frustration, and feelings of abandonment, do not belong to Christ. And if it's not from Christ, who is it from? The other side.
Take this is as you will my friends, but it's heavy on my heart as His thoughts for me...and as always, it's my joy to share these thoughts with all of you. I pray they bless you in some way.