Jesus, What Would You Do?

One day when our daughter Arla was about nine years old, I told her to dust the furniture. Every little bit she was crying or complaining. She bumped her head and her arm, got a splinter in her hand, and then couldn't remember which shelves she had dusted. Frustrated with her, I threatened to punish.
Finally, in desperation, I said silently, "Jesus, what would You do with a child like this?"

The Spirit whispered, "I'd spend time with her."

Surprised that a response had actually come to my mind, I went to Arla and instead of scolding her and then walking away as I had been doing, I stayed with her trying to speak kindly as I knew Jesus would while she did her work. Amazingly, her attitude brightened, and she was happy and talkative and began dusting without complaining.

Asking for the mind of Christ can give us surprising results. "Give me the mind of Christ" is an appropriate prayer to pray when we recognize we're having an unloving attitude or we lack wisdom. By faith we welcome His thoughts, emotions, and affections as though they are our own. Because we have access to the mind of Christ, we don't need to respond out of our human weakness.

Jesus, help me to remember to include You in my thoughts before I respond in ineffective ways or ways I would regret.

"We have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16).