Mind of Christ: Ep 5: Seeing Beyond the Surface: Cultivating the Mind of Christ

0:12 Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host, Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent. Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed. Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought was possible. Enlarge her territory. Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment. Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent to silence her. This isn't just a podcast. This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

0:53 Hello and welcome to Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we're continuing our Faith on the Go series. This topic is discernment. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That means that the more you hear the word of God, the more faith that you will get. And we need faith because faith is what mountains and it's what pleases God. This is why this place, space was created. For your quiet moments, for your workday, for your commutes, and for those in-between places where your spirit just needs to be refilled. Faith on the go is for those times when fighting the battle's not yet won, but already finished in Christ.

1:40 It's for the ones who keep believing. Come on, keep pressing in. Is that you? That's me. Keep walking. Even when the road gets long and you know, as it gets longer, it gets narrower. So wherever you are today, settle in and let the word of God strengthen your faith while you are on. Goal. Today is day five, a mind of discernment seen beyond the surface. Go with me to our key scripture, John chapter 2, verses 24 through 25. It says, but Jesus would not entrust himself to them for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about humanity for he knew what was in each person.

2:23 We see here that God knows us personally. Isn't that powerful? We want Him to know us personally so you don't go to Him faking and shaking because He knows you personally, according to John 2, 24-25. Seeing through Jesus, Sermon was one of Jesus' greatest yet most powerful gifts. He didn't just see people, he knew them. He could look past the smile, the title, crowd approval, and see the truth of a person's heart. When Nathaniel approached him, Jesus said, here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.

3:04 Surprised, Nathaniel asked how Jesus knew him. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you, John 1, 48. That one statement reveals something supernatural. Jesus saw him before he saw him. Wow. Jesus saw him before he saw him. When the woman at the well tried to hide behind religion, Jesus gently spoke to her reality. You have five husbands. You had five husbands, and the man you are now with is not your husband, John 4, 18. In that moment, she encountered truth wrapped in grace.

3:44 And when Judas kissed him in the garden, Jesus didn't flinch. He discerned the betrayal before it came, John 13, 11. Discernment didn't make Jesus suspicious. It made him sensitive to the Father's voice. He wasn't paranoid. He was perceptive. To have the mind of Christ is to live with discernment, not judging by appearance, but by the Spirit. Discernment is more than intuition. It's divine insight given through intimacy with God. Jesus said, the son can't do nothing by himself. He can only do what he sees the father doing. John 5, 19.

4:26 Discernment begins with seeing through heaven's eye. It's how you know when to speak and when to stay silent, when to move and when to wait, when to trust and who to release. The Holy Spirit gives discernment to protect your peace, preserve your purpose, and position you for God's timing. 1 Corinthians 2.10 tells us that the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. Jesus never allowed people's actions to distract them from their true needs. Where others saw a sinner, he saw a soul. Where others saw rejection, he saw redemption. Discernment lets you hear what isn't said. It fills what others miss and recognize God's hand in unexpected places.

5:11 But discernment also requires humility. Because you see deeper, you still must choose love. Ask yourself, have I confused suspicion with discernment? Do I pray for understanding before reacting? Am I willing to see what God shows me and still respond with grace? Walk it out like Jesus. How did Jesus walk by faith? Number one, he stayed close to the Father. Jesus' discernment flowed from relationship, not intellect. Luke 5, 16. Spend time, spend quiet time listening for God's whisper. God has a way of telling you other people's secrets, but not for you to be critical and be judgmental and think yourself higher than you ought, but to expose their true heart.

5:58 You know, I remember for a season, God was transitioning me from one place to another. And he just, I just kept, I have a heart to believe everybody is good. But God didn't want me to be ignorant. And so he began to show me people who were around me, who were in my dreams, and they would show up as different animals. It was kind of a weird dream. But yet when I understood the big picture, he'd show me their heart through these animal characters. It was different. And so when you stay close to the Father, he shows you people's heart. He shows you people's intention to keep you safe, right?

6:41 He said he would never leave us or forsake us. I mean, he's right beside us whispering in our ear so that we can know the intent. And it can be good intent, too. It's not always bad intent. It's good intent. And matter of fact, he can't even tell you what will make this person happy if you buy this certain thing, if you do this particular thing. It's just so interesting that when you stay close to the Father and you listen for his whisper, you will get your answers. You will have a mind like Jesus. Number two, test every spirit. Not every opportunity, word, or emotion is from God. Measure it against his word, 1 John 4, 11. And the way you do that is you just ask.

7:25 Do you think something as God or not God? Where is that in the Bible? And how does that relate to me? Those are specific questions. And you'll find out you can weed out a lot of. Tactics from the enemy by questioning the intent of an action. And how does that work, right? So you're asking him, Lord, sometimes you think it could be you too, right? Is this me or is this you? What's going on? And many times he'll show you, no, that's the enemy. That's you. And then you start to weed out those voices and begin to hear God's voice overall, right? So you want to test every spirit. Number three, discerning timing, not just truth. Jesus knew when to speak and when to wait, John 8, 6 through 8.

8:08 It says, wisdom is knowing when to reveal the truth. And just because you have that discernment, just because you know that secret, sometimes, many times, you just have to wait. And sometimes you won't even use that information. As a police officer, it's like gathering evidence. You don't need that information yet because it's not up yet, but you may need it. And so you want to discern the proper timing when to use it and when not to use it and how to use it. Wisdom is how to use it. Number four, respond in love, not pride. Jesus corrected without condemnation. John 8, 1. And discernment reveals to heal, not to humiliate.

8:52 And so the way Jesus approached the women at the well, he didn't just blurt out her business. He just says, hey, this is you. It revealed a little bit about who she was. And that made her even closer to him because he didn't say it in such a demeaning way. He said it in a way that it's loving. You can tell somebody's a business to them in a way that's not condemning to them. And so discernment reveals to heal, not to humiliate. If you have a vendetta against someone and you know something and you do that, you know how quickly that just dies out. When you hurt somebody's feeling so bad because you know something about them and it's kind of a payback, a vindictive attitude, there's no reward in that.

9:36 It's that reward for a minute maybe to see them cry, but at the end it hurts because that was a real person and real human. Remember Jesus said he knows. He already knew. He gave that information to you. So see how you would handle it. And you know, if you handle it wrongly, you won't get any more information because he's not out there trying to hurt his people. He's trying to heal them. And if you're that vessel to heal, that he will use you more and more. If you're that vessel to hurt, he's going to shut it down. He is definitely going to shut it down. Number five, daily for spiritual eyes. I think that covered that in most of the episodes. Ask daily for the word of God, the wisdom of God, the mind of Christ, the mind of discernment.

10:20 So you can ask him every day, Lord, give me the mind of discernment so that I can heal and not hurt. Give me the mind of discernment so I can heal and not hurt. And then that's when you ask for these spiritual eyes, right? And number five, pray as Paul did, that you have the heart, that my heart may be enlightened. I want my heart enlightened. Why? Because if I have the heart of Jesus, then I have the mind of Jesus. Then my heart, I'm not going to go out and intentionally hurt people. There's many times God revealed things to me about people. And I'll pray for them because the part is so heavy. because a lot of times people that are angry or coming at you the wrong way, it's like, wow.

11:04 I asked a lady the other day, and like I said, I'm on an HOA, and I asked her, I said, why are you so angry? Why are you so angry? And then I decided at that point that I deserve to keep my peace. We cover that. I want my peace. And so instead of having to go back and forth with her over stupid stuff, I decided just to block her. Only way I'm going to communicate with her is through email. I don't need to have her texting me about anything. Now, God may change that, but for now, I'm going to have my peace because I want to see her through God's eyes. And I can't see her through God's eyes if I'm continually, she's continuing to be negative. And then it starts a little bit of a text argument.

11:46 It's like, that's not needed. Why? Because I'm the president. You know, you still have to come and follow the rules, right? So it's not like I'm being a big head, but it's like, you're not, you were the president. You're not. You lost it. But I don't want to lose my presidential privileges. So I am wanting God to give me the mind of Christ. And I've been praying that a lot lately. And that's how this devotional came out, where I want the mind of Christ. And then he said, do you know what that is? And I said, you know, no, don't tell Jesus, you know, right? You better say you don't know and let him teach you. And I said, so this is that birthing of this devotional is how do I have the mind of Christ. We talked about being the bride of Christ.

12:31 I want the mind of Christ, too. I don't want to just have the fancy dress, right, and be chosen for the dinner. I want to walk in there with wisdom, humility, come on, peace. I want everything that Jesus has. And I want you to have that same, same thing. And that's why I share this podcast with you. Let's pray. Holy Spirit, you see what I cannot see. Teach me to perceive life through the eyes of Christ. Sharpen my spiritual sight and silence every distraction that dulls my discernment. When you reveal truth, help me to walk in wisdom, not pride. Guard my heart from deception and keep my spirit sensitive to your leading. Let me see people the way Jesus did, with clarity, with compassion and courage. In Jesus' name, amen.

13:18 I decree I have the mind of Christ. My eyes are open to truth. My heart is led by the Spirit and my steps are guided by divine discernment. I see beyond appearances and respond to heaven's wisdom and love. Let's think about this. Where is God calling you to see beyond what's visible? And how can discernment help you respond with wisdom instead of reaction? I just share that instead of reacting. And my question to her was, why are you so angry? Why are you so angry? And she didn't respond right away, or maybe I didn't give her a chance. But why are you so angry? So the Lord showed that to me because I spent a lot of energy just really kind of tit for tat with her.

14:04 And I'm like, that's not God-like. I don't have to be tit for tat with you. I deserve to have my peace. And so when you think about that, where are you reacting at instead of walking with the mind of Christ, walking in your peace, in your humility, in your discernment? You know, where are you not doing that? So that's something to think about, but it's time to get ready for the next episode, right? So let you know that you've been listening to Faith on the Go with your host Connie Morris from the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I pray that this word has energized your faith and reminded you of God's promise. According to Isaiah 55.1, it says, So shall my word be that goes out of my mouth.

14:49 It should not return to me void, but it should accomplish what I please. And it should prosper in the thing for which I sent. We want God to prosper his word, right? So we have to be careful of what we say and what we do and how we act. And be confident in this. He who began a good work will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1.6. So keep believing, keep walking, and keep trusting because God will finish what he started. I'll see you on the next episode. Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out, I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14.

15:35 Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. So today we receive that truth. You said when we call on you, you will listen. So we pray. You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found. So we pursue. You said you will restore us from captivity. So we declare freedom over every place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small. Thank you for always drawing near when we show up and faith. In Jesus' name, amen.