Section 4—The Growing Personality
Chapter 21—Christ Deals With Minds (Part 2)
Infinite Possibilities in Every Human Being—In every human being He discerned infinite possibilities. He saw men as they might be, transfigured by His grace—in “the beauty of the Lord our God” (Psalm 90:17). Looking upon them with hope, He inspired hope, Meeting them with confidence, He inspired trust. Revealing in Himself man’s true ideal, He awakened, for its attainment, both desire and faith. In His presence souls despised and fallen realized that they still were men, and they longed to prove themselves worthy of His regard. In many a heart that seemed dead to all things holy were awakened new impulses. To many a despairing one there opened the possibility of a new life.—Education, 80 (1903).
His Heart a Wellspring of Life—It is often said that Jesus wept, but that He was never known to smile. Our Saviour was indeed a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, for He opened His heart to all the woes of men. But though His life was self-denying and shadowed with pain and care, His spirit was not crushed. His countenance did not wear an expression of grief and repining but ever one of peaceful serenity. His heart was a well-spring of life, and wherever He went He carried rest and peace, joy and gladness.—Steps to Christ, 120 (1892).
Christ Was Never Passionate—Christ carried out in His life His own divine teachings. His zeal never led Him to become passionate. He manifested consistency without obstinacy, benevolence without weakness, tenderness and sympathy without sentimentalism. He was highly social; yet He possessed a reserved dignity that did not encourage undue familiarity. His temperance never led to bigotry or austerity. He was not conformed to this world; yet He was not indifferent to the wants of the least among men. He was awake to the needs of all.—Manuscript 132, 1902. (Evangelism, 636.)
Tact to Meet Prejudiced Minds—His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew “how to speak a word in season to him that is weary” (Isaiah 50:4); for grace was poured upon His lips that He might convey to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth. He had tact to meet the prejudiced minds and to surprise them with illustrations that won their attention.—The Desire of Ages, 254 (1898).
He Reached to Depths of Human Woe—He traversed every path where souls were straying. He reached to the very depths of human woe and misery.—Letter 50, 1897.
Combats Satan’s Power Over Mind—He [Christ] saw the power—the deceptive power—of Satan upon human minds, and He engaged [bound Himself by a pledge] to come to this earth. He lays aside the robes of His royalty, He lays off His royal crown, He lays off His high command, He steps down from the throne of His glory as High Commander in all heaven, and clothes His divinity with humanity, that humanity might touch humanity. That is what He came here for. He came right down to our earth to take upon Himself the nature of man, to pass through all the trials, all the afflictions and temptations wherewith man should be beset, and here He wrestled with these temptations, passing over the ground where Adam fell, that He might redeem the disgraceful failure and fall of Adam.
In human nature, as our substitute, as our surety, He laid hold upon the very hope that it is our privilege to take hold of, and that is infinite power. Through this, our Saviour overcame the temptations of the enemy and obtained the victory. For whom? Why, in our behalf. Why? That not one of the members of the human family need to stumble in the road that leads to everlasting life. Because He has traveled it before us, He knows every obstruction, He knows every difficulty that every soul upon the face of the earth must meet. He knows this, and therefore at His baptism, when He offered up His petition to heaven, that prayer cleaved directly through the hellish shadow of Satan that is thrown on your path, that is thrown on my path, and faith entered “into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19).—Manuscript 12, 1895.
Helps Seeker to Exercise Faith—Christ knew every thought of her mind [the woman who touched His garment], and He was making His way to where she stood. He realized her great need, and He was helping her to exercise faith.—The Ministry of Healing, 60 (1905).
Divine Knowledge May Become Human Knowledge—Divine knowledge may become human knowledge. Every minister should study closely the manner of Christ’s teaching. They must take in His lessons. There is not one in twenty who knows the beauty, the real essence, of Christ’s ministry. They are to find it out. Then they will become partakers of the rich fruit of His teachings. They will weave them so fully into their own life and practice that the ideas and principles that Christ brought into His lessons will be brought into their teaching. The truth will blossom and bear the noblest kind of fruit. And the worker’s own heart will be warmed; yea it will burn with the vivifying spiritual life which they infuse into the minds of others.—Manuscript 104, 1898.
To Meet Varied Minds—All who profess to be children of God should bear in mind that as missionaries they will be brought into contact with all classes of minds. There are the refined and the coarse, the humble and the proud, the religious and the skeptical, the educated and the ignorant, the rich and the poor. These varied minds cannot be treated alike; yet all need kindness and sympathy. By mutual contact our minds should receive polish and refinement. We are dependent upon one another, closely bound together by the ties of human brotherhood.—The Ministry of Healing, 495, 496 (1905).
Mind to Become One With His Mind—When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah.—Christ’s Object Lessons, 312 (1900).
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/77.933#945
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the privilege of prayer, knowing that through the name of Your Son we may expect what we ask, because we ask according to Your will to be like Jesus. Please grant us a zeal that restrains us from becoming passionate, consistency without obstinacy, benevolence without weakness, tenderness and sympathy without sentimentalism. Like Him, bless us to be highly social, yet possess a reserved dignity that does not encourage undue familiarity. Bless us to be temperate that won’t lead to bigotry or austerity. Like Him, please bless us to not be conformed to this world, but not indifferent to the wants of the least among men. Please bless us to be awake to the needs of all, according to Your Will that You might be honored. Please bless us truly to contemplate the life of Jesus and to allow Your Word to develop within us that true religion, which ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and makes us partakers of the vibrant health, purity, and holiness of Heaven. Because we ask all these in the Awesome name of Your Son, Almighty Jesus the Christ, our Savior, we say Thank You and Amen.
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DID YOU KNOW THIS…? Galatians 5:22, 23 KJV — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.—[The WORD OF GOD—It’s the only flesh that is safe to eat (meditate on) to live forever!]
Do you feel sorrowful, disconnected—without a place to feel at home or useful? I pray this might show you the way forward. Watch…
https://www.youtube.com/live/2QB6fcwVuws?si=fsEvZU-rkI-BngfD
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Therefore, if at any time you fail to receive this post as a text, please visit
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where devotionals are first posted daily (almost without fail). From there devotionals are publicly shared to my page on FB, LinkedIn, and Signal (in My Story), and to a response-restricted group on WhatsApp (once again when I am able to find the time to successfully rebuild it).
NOTE: These began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed March 2023. Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who will receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. Lately, I have begun featuring consecutive chapter portions of a select Bible-based book.
If you agree to continue receiving them, then this is my personal gift to you; and in this way, I not only honor God but the memory of a very dear friend whom I desperately miss.
My personal prayer is that God will bless me to find ways to multiply this gift, so that we all may be encouraged to be found faithful in the sight of a Holy God, whenever Christ returns or our eyes are shut in the sleep of death.
It is a prayerful process that leads me to share from my personal study.
So please feel free to forward to your loved ones or to anyone, as God leads you. I’m calling them Barb’s Devotionals.