We make a subtle choice when we enter a meeting. We choose unity or division by our words and body language.
Pause for a moment to consider how Christ would join our meeting. We don’t have to stretch too far to understand the impact of that question.
Add this verse to your consideration: “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16b).
A tiny personal pronoun Paul includes here rocked my thinking. “We” have the mind of Christ. When I’m working, I walk into rooms filled with people who are Christ-minded. We work together with the mind of Christ.
When I walk into a room in my home, I see people who have the mind of Christ. The same is true when I enter my church. The truth is, I really don’t care to walk into a room that isn’t occupied by the mind of Christ.
But I realized I may have been praying this verse with the wrong mindset. As I pray, I ask God to help me think with the mind of Christ. I also hope everyone thinks the way I do because I love short meetings.
How many meetings have you attended where confusion springs up and small spats spark? Voices rise and tensions heighten. Suddenly, more people talk and fewer speak.
“In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Prov. 14:23, author’s emphasis).
“Yes, my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak right things” (Prov. 23:16, author’s emphasis).
These verses build a case for opening every meeting with prayer for the mind of Christ to unify our hearts.
This is how we pass the test of Ephesians 4:3: “Be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The mind of Christ energizes our eagerness for unity.
Our meetings should be staffed with preservation agents. We should ask God to send us keepers of “the unity of the Spirit.” I’ve attended meetings with security guards at the door, but true security in our meetings permeates when peace abounds. We need peace preservers more than we need life preservers.
Peace preservation matters even more as we leave a day of meetings to return to our homes. The most important minute of the evening is the first minute after walking in the door.
I experienced the consequence of forgetting this instruction one evening when, upon arrival, I Doberman-barked a message to my wife. Her response humbled me and informed right thinking:
“You need to turn around, go back to your car and leave your manager-voice in there somewhere, then come back home with a little love in your voice.”
I’ve always been thankful God made me one with a peace preserver.
When our mind and spirit are right, we don’t need to manufacture peace. It comes with the mind of Christ. I prefer to think peacefully and diligently preserve unity in the Spirit.
And unity seems to be the main catalyst for abundant living. “Preserve” becomes an action verb as we preserve the unity of peace. Is it better to live in peace or bask in our ability to win an argument? Sometimes being right is not such a big deal after all.
We must come to that place where we focus on preserving the relationship. If we work in the bond of peace, we’ll have the mind of Christ.
When we do this at work, we can expect godly outcomes and godly growth. It’s not about pounding our desk on behalf of the strategy. It’s about pouring out our heart for peace.
When we do this at home and at work, we can expect godly relationships with God-glorifying outcomes. We don’t labor to impress the neighbors. We make every effort to exalt Christ.
The mind of Christ produces peace.
Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the multimedia group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His Charisma House book, Love Leads, shows that without love, you cannot be an effective leader. Sign up for his free “5 Things I Learned Last Week” and “Greenelines” newsletters, and download his Greenelines and At Work With God podcasts at greenelines.com.
This article was excerpted from the May issue of Charisma magazine. If you don’t subscribe to Charisma, click here to get every issue delivered to your mailbox. During this time of change, your subscription is a vote of confidence for the kind of Spirit-filled content we offer. In the same way you would support a ministry with a donation, subscribing is your way to support Charisma. Also, we encourage you to give gift subscriptions at shop.charismamag.com, and share our articles on social media.
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