{"id":63147,"date":"2022-03-25T09:36:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T13:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=63147"},"modified":"2022-03-25T12:07:52","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T16:07:52","slug":"having-the-mindset-of-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/having-the-mindset-of-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Having the Mindset of Christ: 3 Ways to Be Like Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you more like Jesus today than you were yesterday? What can you do to think like Christ? What difference would it make in your life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joyce Meyer explains that Jesus is the paragon of maintaining a positive mind in the face of suffering. Therefore, as we try to live a positive life ourselves, we should try to emulate his mindset. While this may seem like an impossible task, Meyer reminds us that God invites all Christians to share the mind of Christ<\/a> through the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more to learn about the steps toward having the mindset of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Having the Mindset of Christ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Meyer outlines three steps that can help us think like Jesus. Having the mindset of Christ will keep our minds positive\u2014no matter the circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Meyer outlined six separate steps, but some of them mirror each other or repeat previous discussions, so we\u2019ve condensed them into three.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Be positive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To think like Jesus, we should always look for something positive to think, do, or say. Meyer explains that Jesus was always positive in the face of suffering and adversity. She argues that in every situation, we can choose to follow a path of \u201cdeath\u201d (which we\u2019ll continue to call negative thoughts and actions) or \u201clife\u201d (which we\u2019ll continue to call positive thoughts<\/a> and actions). Meyer argues that if we\u2019ve aligned our mind with the mind of Jesus, we\u2019ll find a way to see and do things from a place of positivity, even when we face situations that seem hopeless or joyless.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking like Jesus means looking for the <\/strong>good <\/em><\/strong>in those around us.<\/strong> As Meyer has mentioned earlier, we all get a positive lift when we think kind and encouraging thoughts about other people because those kind thoughts become kind words and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balancing Positive and Negative Thoughts  <\/strong>

In her bestselling book The Secret<\/em><\/a>, Rhonda Byrne proposes a math-based reason for why we should always look for a reason to be positive about ourselves, about others, and about our lives. In contrast to Meyer, Byrne writes that it’s unrealistic to expect ourselves to be exclusively positive in every situation. The key, she explains, is to make sure that our ratio of positive to negative thoughts remains tipped in the positive direction. 

Byrne explains that each time we think a positive thought, we add \u201cweight\u201d to the positive side of the scale. Byrne explains that as these positive thoughts accumulate, living a positive life becomes easier and easier. If we start the day positively, that momentum will carry us into a happier day.<\/a> If we start the day on a negative note, we\u2019ll only make it more difficult to be positive later because we\u2019ll have added weight to the negative side of the scale. 

Thinking about positivity as a ratio is helpful because it effectively shows why taking every opportunity to be positive matters. One negative thought in a sea of positive thoughts is unlikely to derail a positive mind. But if we’re negative as much as we’re positive, then any additional negative thought could be the tipping point<\/a> into a negative day. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Meyer explains that aligning our minds with Jesus\u2019s mind lifts us up not only mentally and spiritually but physically. When we allow God to guide us in a positive life, we can stand taller and hold our heads higher. Meyer adds that her physical appearance has improved since cultivating a positive mind because her positivity radiates from the inside out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, Meyer argues that Satan\u2019s attacks can physically bring us down. She notes that attacks from the Devil can cause us to hang our heads and slump our shoulders and even feel like we need to lay down. At the extreme, we may become clinically depressed by Satan\u2019s attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress and Posture<\/strong>

Research has shown that maintaining upright posture when we feel stressed can actually have measurable physiological benefits. A study of the effect of posture on participants\u2019 response to emotional stress showed that sitting up straight helped people maintain their self-esteem and positive mood during an emotionally stressful situation<\/a>. Sitting upright also helped people focus less on themselves (which Meyer has argued is an effective strategy in combating a negative mindset<\/a>). Researchers concluded that proper posture may be an easy way for people to combat the effects of stress. In light of this study, Meyer might add posture as a weapon in our arsenal against Satan\u2019s attacks. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overcoming Depression<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Meyer notes that modeling ourselves on Jesus’s mindset can help overcome depression. She outlines several steps to overcoming depression and regaining a positive life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: We\u2019ve merged Meyer\u2019s eight steps to overcoming depression into four to avoid repetition.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1:<\/strong> Recognize Satan as the source of the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2:<\/strong> Take early action. Meyer notes that the longer Satan\u2019s seeds of negativity are allowed to grow, the more difficult it will be to get rid of them. If we start to feel powerless in our lives, we should use that feeling as a warning sign that Satan may be driving us towards depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3:<\/strong> Focus on the positives<\/a>. Meyer explains that remembering good times in our lives can lift us up and give us a frame of reference for what we’re fighting for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4:<\/strong> Look for relief in God. Meyer explains that if we feel depressed, we should not look for \u2018worldly\u2019 fixes to our problems but instead focus on our relationship with God<\/a>. She explains people who are depressed often look for relief in the wrong places, but anything other than a positive relationship with God will be a bandaid, not a cure. Therefore, if we’re feeling depressed, Meyer explains that we need to open our minds and spirits to God, ask for His help, and allow Him to guide us out of negativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battlefield of the Mind Is Not<\/em> Clinical Advice<\/strong>

In outlining steps to overcome depression, Meyer opens herself to criticism by giving what can be considered unfounded clinical advice. Meyer recognizes the seriousness of depression in her discussion of suicide as a worst-case outcome of the disease, yet does not suggest that people struggling with depression seek professional help.

A paper from the University of Leicester providing a \u201cpsychoanalytically informed\u201d discussion of Meyer discusses why her foray into providing clinical advice may be ill-advised. The authors of the paper note that Meyer\u2019s teachings employ therapeutic language when discussing their followers\u2019 mental problems but then fail to employ appropriate clinical approaches to address them<\/a>. The authors note that Meyer consistently fails to acknowledge the \u201cbiological, social, and experiential causes\u201d of psychological disorders and, as such, does not suggest medication or professional help as a treatment option. In fact, her admonition to avoid \u201cworldly\u201d fixes seems to specifically advise against<\/em> seeking help from sources like professional psychologists or medication\u2014advice that might cause people to delay getting meaningful help. 

While her advice to seek help early and to focus on positives echoes some aspects of more traditional advice, her teachings depart from mainstream psychological recommendations in that it encourages people to see their issues as stemming from \u201csupernatural\u201d causes. Outsourcing our negative thoughts and feelings<\/a> to Satan fails to acknowledge the complexity of human emotions and runs counter to psychotherapy, which encourages people to better understand and work through their thoughts and feelings. The authors note that for people who suffer from certain disorders such as bipolar and manic depression, Meyer\u2019s use of supernatural imagery can actually make manic symptoms worse. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Keep Your Mind on God<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To think like Jesus, we need to make our relationship with God part of our daily lives. <\/strong>Meyer reminds us that we cannot have a strong relationship<\/a> with someone when they are not on our minds. Jesus, she notes, was in constant communion with God. Since He is our example for leading a positive life, we should strive to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meyer suggests finding places throughout the day to focus our thoughts on God. Taking opportunities to think about and appreciate God every day will strengthen our relationship with Him and help our minds stay positive.<\/strong> She gives the following suggestions of simple ways to incorporate God into our daily lives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n