I've Lost My Anxious Mind!

Do you have any “anxiety enemies”?  An “anxiety enemy” is someone, something, or a circumstance that causes worry or an unsettled state of mind in your life.   An “anxiety enemy” attacks our mind by bombarding us with a thought of the possibility of physical danger or personal misfortune.  An “anxiety enemy” often shows up in the form of the question, “what if”?  “What if I fail my algebra test?” “What if I don’t make the varsity team?”  “What if ___________ doesn’t like me?”  We can experience anxiety from almost every area of our lives and so we must find a way to survive the attacks of this mental enemy!

READ:  Philippians 4:4-7

ANXIETY is a real enemy that God is able to GUARD us from!  The word “guard” in verse 7 is a military term which means to “keep watch” or “protect” against a dangerous enemy!  No wonder so many people experience anxiety “attacks”.  Instead of allowing anxiety and worry to attack, capture, and hurt us, we are to prayerfully trust that God is defending us against whatever we are worried about.  What are some of the “anxiety enemies” that God’s peace is able to guard us from?

God’s peace guards us from the attacks of SATAN (Romans 16:20) – It’s easy to be anxious about Satan.  1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan as a, “roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  If that’s not a disturbing thought I don’t know what is.  We have an enemy who wants to chew us up and spit us out spiritually.  What’s even more disturbing is that he deceptively disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).  We don’t have to be anxious about or intimidated by Satan because the God of peace will eventually crush him under our feet!  Our best defense against Satan is not to avoid him but to always be in the presence of the One who is powerful enough to CRUSH him!

God’s peace guards us from feeling LONELY (Phil. 4:9) – All of us get anxious about being ALONE.  My worst memory of being alone was in Jr. High.  My best friend Troy and I were at my house alone when we heard a door close downstairs.  After going out the front door and seeing that not only the garage door but the door into the basement was open we were terrified.  Convinced that someone was in the house we attempted to overtake each room by entering with a scream and a baseball bat.  It ended up being no one (wind probably closed the door), but being alone with no adults was scary.  Loneliness hurts people in many different ways . . . lack/loss of intimate relationship with others, feelings of meaninglessness, nobody needs us or wants us.  The fear of being alone leaves many to suffer with low self-esteem, unhealthy dependence on others, despair, depression and in severe cases suicide.  We don’t have to be anxious when we are lonely because the God of peace is always with us!  With the God of peace we have a place of eternal acceptance and belonging.  When the relational world around you is absent, God promises He is present to guard your life from the anxiety of despair.

God’s peace guards us from feeling UNWORTHY (1 Thess. 5:23) – Upon arrival in heaven a man noticed that all the clocks had names under them.  He asked Peter, “what’s with all the clocks?”  Peter answered, “they are not clocks but sin meters”.  He noticed that Billy Graham’s hardly moved. The Pope’s seemed to be motionless as well.  Other well-known people’s meters moved very little.  The man asked Peter, “do I have a clock?” Peter replied, “it’s in the office, we use it as a fan.”  It’s easy to get anxious wondering if we’ve sinned TOO much in our lives.  Our problem before God is not the amount of our sins, but the fact that we are sinners.  We do not have to be anxious about our sin because God has forgiven us and He is in the process of sanctifying us and making us blameless.  Be encouraged, it is God who sanctifies and keeps us blameless, not us!

God’s peace guards us from feeling UNEQUIPPED to do His will (Hebrews 13:20-21) – We can be anxious if we feel unskilled, unprepared, or unequipped to do God’s will.  I’m sure Noah felt unequipped and anxious about building an ark.  Moses felt unequipped and anxious to speak to Pharoah.  It’s easy to think that if we are not a wonderful speaker, singer, or Bible scholar then we are not useful in the kingdom.  Anxiety can paralyze us and cause us to avoid or miss God’s will.  Whatever God calls us to do, He will equip us with every good thing we need to do it!  Our success in doing God’s will is not based on how well we function but our faithfulness to His calling.  We will be effective when we do God’s will and use what we have to serve Him.

CONCLUSION

Dr A.T. Pierson wrote, “There is what is called the "cushion of the sea”.  Down beneath the surface that is agitated by storms, and driven about with winds, there is a part of the sea that is never stirred. When we dredge the bottom and bring up the remains of animal and vegetable life we find that they give evidence of not having been disturbed in the least, for hundreds and thousands of years. The peace of God is that eternal calm which, like the cushion of the sea, lies far too deep down to be reached by any external trouble and disturbance; and he who enters into the presence of God, becomes partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm.”

The peace of God is an eternal calm like the cushion of the sea.  It lies so deeply within the human heart that no external disturbance can reach it.  ANYONE who enters the presence of God becomes a partaker of that undisturbed and undisturbable calm!  Is. 26:3 says, “God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”  To “lose our anxious mind” means to earnestly stay in God’s presence so we can be in a place of calm amidst all the disturbances of life.

I've Lost My Disagreeable Mind

The "Cha Cha Slide" is a song by DJ Casper that is frequently played at dances, parties, and weddings.   When the “Cha Cha Slide” is played a group of individuals dance and move in simultaneous unison.  Individuals listen for directions from the song, and as a result a group of 5, 10, 100, or 1,000,000 individuals can be simultaneously united together doing the same movements.  This song displays the unity a group of individuals can experience if they are all individually listening to a single voice.  Similarly, if a group of individuals are led by Christ, they will experience unity in their thinking, in their beliefs, and in the things they do together!

           

READ: 2 Cor. 13:11

Believers are able to AGREE with one another by being of ONE MIND!  Jesus made it clear when He departed from the earth that He wanted believers to be unified.  John 17:23 says that the desire of Jesus Christ was that we be, “perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”  When Christians are individually willing to “lose their minds” we have the ability to have sameness is thinking.  When we are led by ONE voice, the thoughts and ideas that exist inside our mind will become similar if not identical.  Why is it important for believers to have unity?  How do we get and maintain unity?

Unity results in AGREEMENT and not DIVISION (1 Cor. 1:10) – Have you ever been to a meeting and tried to decide something very simple?  It can take forever because everyone has a different opinion.  But as soon as someone with authority intervenes and makes a decision everyone can be on the same page.  God is our authority concerning all issues in life.  By listening to His voice as individuals we can avoid disagreement as a whole.  We do not need to come to conclusions together but simply obey His direction.  Divisions can only occur among Christians when individuals disagree with God.  It is extremely important that we individually be seeking God’s will so we can be in agreement and united together.

Unity compels people to meet one another’s NEEDS (Acts 4:32-35) – In the U.S. we are not so much in material need as emotional and social need.  We may not be around people lacking in material wealth, but we are surrounded by people who are poor in meaningful relationships.  What an opportunity to meet the needs of those we come in contact with . . . especially other believers.  When we identify a need that someone has we must offer whatever resources we have (money, time, a listening ear) to help meet that need.  To withhold ourselves from someone in need is to break the bond of unity that exists between us as believers.

God GIFTS everyone in order to progress one another toward unity (Eph. 4:11-13) – One of our goals in this life is maturity of faith.  We are each uniquely gifted so that we can mature each other to the same amount of faith. We must use our giftedness to mature others in their faith.  As we each mature together we become more and more united in our thinking and our purposes as a group.  It is much easier to accomplish something as a united whole than a small group of independent individuals.

Perfect unity is bound together by LOVE (Col. 3:14) – The one common thought that unites all believers is LOVE!  There will always be differences in opinion, conflicts are destined to arise, and opposition may never disappear.  The only thing that allows us to remain united and fills in the gaps of disagreement is love.  1 Cor. 3:8 says that, “love never fails”.  What a gracious character quality God has displayed for us so we can remain united.           

Conclusion:

Psalm 133:1 says, “how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”  It is evident that God loves to see His people live in harmony in accordance with His law.  The only way to gain the unity that is described in the Bible is if we as individuals are willing to “lose our disagreeable mind” and let God lead us individually and corporately.  Are you listening to God’s voice?  If not, you are probably experiencing conflict and division.  But, if you are, you are probably experiencing unity, harmony, and agreement with other believers! 

I've Lost My Old Mind

In our culture it is a high value to be informed of the latest information and gadgets.  Things come in and out of style in light speed.  It is social suicide to be “out of date” or be uninformed of the latest trend or fad.  I am at a stage in life when I feel like I just barely stay “in the know”.  I think I was hearing about “Gangnam Style” just about the time it was declining in popularity, and even then my wife is the one who made me aware of this new (and now old) phenomenon.  Most recently I have discovered the “Harlem Shake” which from my perception is already becoming “old news”.  What’s new and trendy enters on the scene quickly and what has become “old news” even faster.  Living the Christian life is definitely not about being trendy, but there is a way of living that, in light of eternity, is new and will always be trendy and never go out of style in God’s economy! 

READ:  Romans 12:1-2

Being a LIVING SACRIFICE is the NEW way that God wants us to live our lives!   We are NOT to conform (“pattern our behavior”) ourselves to the ever-changing trends and fads of this world.  Instead, we are to be transformed (metamorphosis = “to change natures”) and become something completely new and different . . . and it all starts by renewing our mind.  How do we renew our minds in order to live as a living sacrifice?

Our mind is renewed by KNOWLEDGE of our Creator (Col. 3:10) – Our minds have the ability to “know” lots of things.  Over the years we have learned and know many different bits and pieces of information . . . the alphabet, multiplication tables, dates when things happened in history, etc.  The information we can know with our minds is basically limitless.  But even those who do not believe in God would say that just knowing information is not enough.  Knowing God is like looking into a mirror.  A renewed mind does not just sit and observe God and obtain information, a renewed mind observes God and imitates Him!  When we look at the image of our Creator we are getting a glimpse into the mystery of who God originally created us to be (Gen. 1:27).  Every time we gain knowledge about who God is, we gain knowledge about the transformed and new person we are supposed to be!

Our mind is renewed DAILY from the INSIDE (2 Cor. 4:16) – The second law of thermodynamics states that everything in the physical universe is in a constant state of (entropy) degeneration . . . moving from a state of order to disorder.  The energy required to make our universe function cannot sustain itself forever!  Our physical bodies are a perfect example of physical matter wasting away over time and eventually dying.  Although our universe and our physical existence are wasting away, our inner-self has the potential of being made NEW each and every day.  Our inner-self does not degenerate or deteriorate.  In fact, our inner-self can improve!  Our inner-self cannot improve ITSELF but it can be improved with the intervention of God.  God created us with an inner-self that can become more and more like Him.  Each and every day of our lives we can become more and more like God intended us to be (ie living sacrifice).  Although our physical existence is destined for destruction, our spiritual life has eternal potential to be renewed into the image of the Creator!

Our mind is renewed by the HOLY SPIRIT (Tit. 3:4-7) – There is nothing like getting rid of something old and getting something NEW.  Tossing out old smelly socks for brand new clean ones. Getting rid of an old broken down car and getting a new one.  New always means an upgrade . . . cleaner, bigger, better, faster.  New wouldn’t be new if it wasn’t an improvement over something older.  When we are mercifully saved by Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit enters into our lives and makes us into a new human being!  The Holy Spirit gives us an “upgraded” ability to think and live our lives in a NEW way.  The Spirit gives us fruit of godly character (Gal. 5:22-23).  The Spirit gives us assurance that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16).  The Spirit gives us the ability to understand God and His Word (1 Cor. 2:12-16).  The Spirit gives us assistance in prayer (Rom. 8:26).  The Spirit will convict us in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16:8)  The Spirit will also guide us in all truth (Jn. 16:13).  These are not new things that we can produce on our own, they are things that will be made new in us as a result of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us!

CONCLUSION

Someday ALL THINGS are going to be renewed (Mt. 19:28-30, Acts 3:21). Until that day we must allow God (by deciding in our mind) to transform us from our old sinful selves into something new each and every day.  If you’re going to do it you have to “lose” your old way of thinking.  Being a living sacrifice only happens with God’s miraculous intervention and it starts with a decision of the mind.

I've Lost My Sensuous Mind

There are lots of tangible (practical, real, physical) ways that we measure ourselves and others.  A teacher uses test results in school as a tangible measurement of our mental comprehension of information.  An employer conducts an annual review as a tangible measurement of our productivity and work.  A coach conducts a tryout as a tangible measurement to determine whether we are “good enough” to be on the team.  We evaluate the way people dress and act as a tangible measurement of whether someone is cool or popular or can be a part of our social group.  We love tangible measurements because, in our minds, they provide “proof” of whether someone is living up to a standard that we have created.

Is there a tangible way to measure our spirituality?  Are there outward things that we do that allow others to determine whether we get an ‘A’, ‘C’, or ‘F’ as a Christian?  Believe it or not, there are some people who think so.  Even more surprisingly, many of us measure our own spirituality based on a list of external behaviors.

READ:  Colossians 2:16-23

Verse 18 says that there are those who possess a sensuous mind.  A sensuous mind is characterized by gratifying itself through things which can be experienced with our physical senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).  Other ways Scripture describes a sensuous mind is a mind of flesh or a carnal mind.  Throughout Scripture our sensuous (fleshly/carnal) nature is contrasted with our spiritual nature (Rom. 8:1-11).  A sensuous mind is in direct conflict with a mind that is led by the Holy Spirit.  According to Scripture our relationship with God is not based on our SENSUOUS OBEDIENCE but on our receiving of JESUS CHRIST (Col. 2:6)!  What are the characteristics of a sensuous mind?

A sensuous mind makes JUDGMENTS based on external religious behavior (vss 16-17) – What are some tangible things we feel like we must do if we are going to be a good Christian?  Whether going to church on Sunday morning, attending Sunday School, or reading our Bible, we often do “religious” things because we feel judged negatively by others if we don’t do them.  Instead of God’s leading, other people’s judgment becomes our motive for why we do the things we do as a Christian.  Paul says in verse 16 not to let anyone pass judgment on you in the ways you outwardly express your faith.  The substance of our religion is not in how well we live up to others’ (or our own) outward expectations, but whether we are walking intimately and obediently with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! 

A sensuous mind considers DISQUALIFIED those who don’t live up to a (measureable) legalistic standard (vs 18) – How we outwardly express our faith can be extremely confusing.  Some will insist that we speak in tongues in order to be a “true” Christian.  Others might insist that we confess our sins to a priest in order to be forgiven.  Still others might insist that we use the KJV because it is the only accurate translation of the Bible.  Those with a sensuous mind will insist that we live up to a long list measurable legalistic standards.  Paul says in verse 18 not to let any disqualify you because of their insistence that you conform to a specific criteria of behavior.  Instead of trying to live up to a list of rules placed on us by others or ourselves, we must  simply remain connected to the Head who is Jesus Christ.  We are only as qualified as a Christian as we hold fast to Jesus Christ.  As we abide in Christ, He will qualify us by growing us with the growth that is from God.

Why is a sensuous mind so dangerous?

READ: Romans 8:6-8

Paul says in verses 6 through 8 that a sensuous mind is, 1) is HOSTILE to God, 2) does not SUBMIT to God’s law, and 3) cannot PLEASE God.  Ironically, in our attempts to qualify ourselves by living up to a measurable outward legalistic standard of behavior we actually disqualify ourselves from a righteous relationship with God.

CONCLUSION

We must be careful not to live out our faith with a sensuous mind which measures itself and others according to an empty list of external legalistic behaviors.  Our outward behavior is only a shadow of who we are in Christ.  The true measure of our faith is whether we have received Christ and are walking obediently according to the Spirit!  

I've Lost My Villainous Mind

Can you name any popular TV or movie villains besides the ones on Scooby Doo (i.e. Lex Luther, The Joker, Darth Vader)?  Can you name any real life villains (ie Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Adam Lanza)?  A villain is a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or evil.  A villain’s mind does not work the way a normal person’s mind should work.  A villain’s mind is characterized by EVIL!  A villain is an enemy of what is right and is always plotting against what is good.

If there was a villain among us, we would want to know, right?  How would we know?  It would be important to identify a villain and turn them in to the authorities so that they could not hurt or harm anyone.  WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL PROFILE OF A VILLAIN?  The Bible gives a profile of a villain and uses a variety of words that characterize their thinking . . . DEBASED, UNBELIEVING, DEFILED, DEPRAVED, and CORRUPTED.

1.   A villain does not ACKNOWLEDGE God (Rom. 1:18-21, 28) –It doesn’t take much to acknowledge someone’s existence . . . a look, a smile, a nod, a wave.  When a real person enters a room, it would be disrespectful to ignore the fact that they exist.  How does a person get a villainous mind in the first place?  Pretty simple, in spite of the fact that God makes Himself plainly known in the things that have been made, we do not acknowledge His existence.  When we ignore God’s existence, He allows our minds to morally deteriorate and become debased.  A debased mind only thinks and produces actions that are not right or appropriate.  In order to lose our villainous mind we must first acknowledge the reality of God!

2.   Nothing is PURE to a villain (Tit. 1:15-16) – A villain has the ability to take anything and use it for a sinful purpose.  God created the stars and the planets for a pure purpose and yet a defiled and unbelieving mind uses them to foresee the future (astrology).  God created plants for a pure purpose and yet a defiled and unbelieving mind uses them for pleasure (drugs).  God created our physical bodies for a pure purpose and yet a defiled and unbelieving mind uses them inappropriately.  To those who are pure and believe in Christ EVERYTHING has a pure purpose but for those who are defiled and unbelieving NOTHING is pure!  A defiled mind is one that is morally filthy or contaminated.  An unbelieving mind is one that does not believe in Jesus Christ.  In order to lose our villainous mind we must purify ourselves through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

3.   A villain has a DIFFERENT DOCTRINE and CONCEIT (1 Tim. 6:3-5) – A tool of destruction for a villain is a bomb.  In order to produce a bomb a villain must combine the right chemicals and instruments that will cause it to explode and cause destruction.  Similar to a physical bomb, false beliefs’ combined with arrogance is a lethal combination.  Believing the wrong things and arrogantly thinking we are correct all of the time is all it takes to be in controversy, quarrels, and friction with others.  According to verse 5, this state of mind is considered depraved.  Depraved thinking is perverted (twisted), a distorted perspective from the way something was intended to be.  In order to lose our villainous mind we must humbly make sure our beliefs are consistent with the words spoken by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

4.   A villain is OPPOSED to the TRUTH (2 Tim. 3:8) – An inherent characteristic of a villain is that they are always in opposition to the good guy.  Villains “push against” and “resist” anyone or anything that stands for what is right and good.  Obvious to everyone but the villain, their resistance never seems to be an equal force.  Verse 8 says that men like this have a corrupted mind.  A corrupted mind is one that is setting itself up for violent destruction.  To oppose the truth is to oppose God and be the recipient of His wrath and punishment.  1 Sam. 2:10 says, “The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces.”  In order to lose our villainous mind and avoid destruction we must cooperate with God become His ally.

Do you fit the Biblical profile of a villain?  The answer is yes, without Christ we ALL do, OUR minds and actions without God are VILLAINOUS!  It’s scary to think about, but being born unbelieving, defiled, corrupted, depraved, and debased we all have tremendous potential to be wicked and evil!  We may never be a mass murderer but we are guilty on some level of conniving or conspiring to participate in evil.  A villainous mind is NOT something that we want to possess!  We are all villains unless we are willing to “LOSE OUR MIND”.

I've Lost My Earthly Mind

Take 60 seconds and stare at the four black dots in the center of the image.  After 60 seconds quickly look away and blink your eyes a few times as you look at something light or white in color.  If we set our eyes in the right spot and in the right spot for a long enough time we should see what appears to be an image of Jase Roberston from “Duck Dynasty”.  No, it’s not Jase.  An image of Jesus Christ will remain “burned” into our vision for a short period of time.  The image of Jesus eventually fades and disappears.  In order for the image of Jesus to remain in our vision we would need to frequently re-set our eyes on the image.  This exercise is a good example of who we need to set our minds on if we are going to “lose our earthly mind.”

 

READ:  Colossians 3:1-9

 

There are many “things” that are “above” in heaven (ie God, the throne, elders, living creatures with lots of eyes, etc, Rev. 7), but there is only One that we need to set our minds on in order to “lose our earthly mind.”  In order to lose our earthly minds we must set our minds on JESUS CHRIST!  “Losing our earthly mind” is not so much stopping thinking about things on the earth as it is setting our minds on Jesus Christ.  How do we lose our earthly minds?

 

1.      Continuously allow our mind to dwell on THINGS ABOVE (vs 1) – There are two imperatives Paul uses to tell us how our minds need to be focused instead of earthly things.  The first one is the word “seek” which means, “to desire” or “to want”.  The second word translated “set your minds on” means, “to keep on giving serious consideration to something”, “to ponder”, “to let one’s mind dwell on”, “to keep thinking about”, and “to fix one’s attention on.”  Jesus said to His disciples in John 8:23, “I am from above”.  We should want to spend time contemplating Jesus Christ and the things of heaven!  The moment we pause or stop setting our mind on Jesus He will begin to fade in our thinking to a point where we don’t see Him anymore.  But the more we turn our eyes upon Jesus (set our minds on Him), and look full in His wonderful face the more the “things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Sound familiar?

 

2.      Don’t allow our mind to dwell EARTHLY things (vs 2) – Paul says very clearly that we are not to set our minds on the things of this earth.  What are those things on this earth that easily capture our thinking and attention?  Money/possessions, popularity/fame, success/accomplishment, fun/entertainment, me/myself/I, . . . what do we think about the most?  Do they fit into any of these categories?  There are an infinite amount of earthly things that our minds can be preoccupied with and distracted by.  None of these things are “sinful” necessarily but can easily replace the desire we should have for things above.  If we find ourselves wanting these things and thinking more about these things on earth instead of God and His purpose and plan for our lives we may still have not lost our mind.

3.      Put our earthly thinking to DEATH (vs 5) – If there are things that need to be put to death in our lives, they are those things that are purely earthly desires and attachments.  Paul gives 11 specific examples in Col. 3:5-7 of earthly things that not only need to be eliminated from our lives and therefore our thinking.  As we look at those examples, the first thing many of us need to do is change our thinking about some of the ways we are acting.  We will not stop doing any of these earthly things if we do not think that they are sin! Secondly, even if we think something is sinful, that does not mean we won’t be tempted by it, and so we need to stop dwelling on it and thinking about it so we do not act out in sin.  Only when we put to death thoughts about things on earth will our actions and lives begin to be transformed.

What happens to those whose minds remain set on earthly things?  READ:  Philippians 3:18-19.  If our minds remain focused on the things of earth we become ENEMIES of God!  By thinking and therefore behaving in a worldly way we are fighting against God.  If we want to become an ally with God rather than an enemy we need to “LOSE OUR EARTHLY MIND”!!!

I've Lost My Mind

Before we speak or do anything a TOUGHT from our MIND of what we are going to say or do must come first.  Before we eat breakfast our mind has to think, “I’m hungry.”  Before we steal a candy bar our mind has to think, “I want that”.  Before we speak negatively about someone our mind has to think, “I don’t like them”.  Have you ever noticed that your mind NEVER shuts off?  Our mind is a complex computer made up of billions of neurons which make an estimated .1 quadrillion (100 trillion) calculations per second.  Our minds are constantly at work making choices, making judgments, and responding to our environment.  If we are in our “right mind” we are thinking in a logical manner and our words and actions seem to make sense.  But, if we have “lost our mind” our words and actions may seem strange or out of touch with reality.  May I suggest that “losing our minds” is something all believers in Christ should experience!

 

READ:  2 Corinthians 5:11-21

 

In verse 13, Paul describes the radical change that had taken place in his life as a result of Jesus living in and through him by saying, “if we are beside ourselves, it is for God” (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7-12).  A more literal way to translate this phrase would be, “if we are out of our minds (to think or reason in a completely irrational manner, to be insane, or mad).  Paul and his companions were thinking, and therefore living, like mad-men because their lives had been made new by the mind-altering presence of Jesus Christ in their life.

 

The same radical change occurs in our lives when Christ is living in and through us!  When we are living for Jesus Christ it will appear as if we have LOST our MIND!  When we begin walking with Christ, one of the first things to change is our thinking, which will make it seem to those around us as if we’ve lost our mind.  In this passage the apostle Paul shares some of the characteristics in his life that came about as a result of “losing his mind”.  If we’ve lost our mind then these will be characteristics of our lives as well.

 

1.   We’ve lost our mind if the LOVE of Christ CONTROLS us (vs. 14-15) – It was Christ’s display of love on the cross which compelled Paul to no longer live for himself!  Paul felt obligated to no longer live for himself, but to live for Jesus Christ, as a result of His death for his sake.  Paul put it this way in Phil. 1:21, “to live is Christ”!  When we are living for Christ we no longer live life for ourselves.  Others will think we have lost our minds when we start seeking God’s will instead of pursing our own plans and dreams for our lives.  Others will think we have lost our minds when begin orienting our whole lives around Jesus Christ instead of our own personal fulfillment and happiness.  That’s what the love of Christ does to our minds, it is a controlling force which comes in, takes over, and begins dictating the way we live our whole lives.

 

2.   We’ve lost our mind if we KNOW others in regard to their relationship with Christ (vs. 16-17) –

After losing his mind, Paul began to think about others from a different perspective.  Paul no longer came to know others merely by their outward human characteristics (gender, race, appearance, family, personality, affluence, etc), but rather based on their spiritual position “in Christ”.   In Paul’s mind, others were either “in Christ” or not “in Christ”.  Paul thought of others, either as still living according to the old self (sinful nature) or having become a new creation (slaves to righteousness) (Rom. 6:5-14).  Once we’ve “lost our mind” we will start getting to know others beyond the surface and superficial.  The most important question for those of us who have lost our minds is whether or not others have been made new creation through a personal relationship with Christ.

3.   We’ve lost our mind if we are AMBASSADORS for Christ (vs. 18-20) – Paul had been reconciled to God and was assigned the ministry and message of reconciliation.  Paul was immediately given a position and a job to do . . . ambassador for Christ.  As an ambassador Paul was given the authority to speak on behalf of Jesus Christ.  Once we’ve lost our minds and become representatives of Christ, we join in God’s effort to reconcile the whole world to Himself.  As ambassadors of Jesus the message we are to bring to others is, “be reconciled to God”.  This message may not be well received by others, but it is the job description of those who have lost their minds!

In reality, it is those who have not “lost their minds” who should seem strange and out of touch with reality.  Without God all our minds’ can come up with are selfish, greedy, and evil thoughts and decisions!  Remember, although when we are living our lives for Christ we may appear to have lost our minds, we are actually the ones that are thinking most clearly  and accurately about what is true!