Philippians 1 -- The Single Mind

I kept seeing a phrase show up in my commentary this morning – the single mind.  Paul had it, and it showed as “he lived for Christ and the gospel.”

“It’s an attitude that says, ‘It makes no difference what happens to me, just as long as Christ is glorified and the gospel shared with others.’  Paul rejoiced in spite of his circumstances, because his circumstances strengthened the fellowship of the gospel, promoted the furtherance of the gospel, and guarded the faith of the gospel.”

“When you have a single mind, you will not complain about circumstances because you know that difficult circumstances will result in the strengthening of the fellowship of the gospel.”

“This, then, is true Christian fellowship – a having-in-common that is much deeper than mere friendship.  ‘I have you in my mind… I have you in my heart … I have you in my prayers.’  This is the kind of fellowship that produces joy, and it is the single mind that produces this kind of fellowship.”

“When you have the single mind, you look on your circumstances as God-given opportunities for the furtherance of the gospel, and you rejoice at what God is going to do instead of complaining about what God did not do.”

“Criticism is usually very hard to take, particularly when we are in difficult circumstances, as Paul was.  How was he able to rejoice even in the face of such diverse criticism?  He possessed the single mind! … His only desire (because he had the single mind) was to magnify Christ in his body.”

“We are also soldiers defending the faith of the gospel, and the believer with the single mind can have the joy of the Holy Spirit even in the midst of battle … There is joy in our lives, even as we battle the enemy, if we live for Christ and the gospel and practice Christian teamwork … The single mind … produces in us consistency, cooperation, and confidence … as we strive together for the faith of the gospel.”

Father, please continue to sanctify me and to change my thinking toward the single mind I’ve read about today.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford