HomeWord - Sept. 11, 2008
Think Differently
This devotional was written by Dan Johnson
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
Recently I was about to speak to a group of a hundred or so men and as I stood to talk, I took my phone, held it up and said, “Would you please take your cell phone and turn it…” Like clockwork, the guys said “off,” to which I replied: “on!” I invited them to keep their phones on and text me with comments or questions during the talk. We do this at our church and it invites interaction and opens the teaching up to the wisdom of others. But the real issue here is the idea of thinking differently.
Nearly from birth, we’re programmed to think a certain way, talk and behave a certain way. It doesn’t take long for established thought patterns to hold us firmly in their grip and for individuals and cultures to build foundations on untested ideas.
Here’s an example. If you took a survey and asked what causes ulcers the answers would range from spicy foods to stress. And for years those answers would have been “right.” We know now that a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori for short) is responsible. H.pylori was first discovered in the stomachs of patients with gastritis & stomach ulcers nearly 25 years ago by two doctors in Australia. In recognition of their discovery, they were awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize for Medicine & Physiology.
The ancient Greeks discovered that the earth is round by observing lunar eclipses. Today we know the earth is round for many reasons, not the least of which is that it has been viewed at a distance from space. But there is still a Flat Earth Society that exists to convince people the earth is flat.
There will always be people who fight new ideas. And there will always be people looking for new ideas. When we open our lives to the mind of Christ, we see the world differently and we have a more spiritual sense of what is happening in our lives and in the lives of others. This redemptive thinking leads us into opportunities we wouldn’t ordinarily see.
Why not pray a simple prayer today asking for God’s mindset? It might not hit you like a lightning bolt, but that prayer and the ones you pray in following days help create a oneness with God that leaves you open to new and exciting possibilities.
Going Deeper:
- What are some ways to see around your blind spots?
- How can you “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” to see the world differently?
Further Reading:
1 Corinthians 2:16; Isaiah 55:8
Dan Johnson is the Lead Pastor of Next Church in Tacoma, Washington and CEO of the Next Leadership Association.
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