Thinking Otherwise

“Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you”
Philippians 3:15

So, what do we do when we disagree with God? What do we do when we read something in Scripture and don’t like it? What happens when we hear something in a sermon or lesson that steps on our toes from the Word of God?

When Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians he taught and challenged them in many areas. Then the Spirit moved him to write, “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind…”. The ESV reads, “Let those who are mature think this way…” and the NASB reads, “Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude…” It’s about controlling and submitting what we think to God, His Word, and His will. But what if we’re struggling to accept the truth and change our thinking?

Paul says that the mature will have a mind that conforms to what the Spirit reveals. He goes on to say, “…and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you” (Phil 3:15). This doesn’t mean that, if you have questions or doubts, God will somehow automatically remove or answer them. It means that, if you really want to understand and find answers, God will provide what you need. That doesn’t mean that God will give you what you expect, or even what you want. Remember, God doesn’t change Himself or His message to suit us. So, when we have questions and doubts, we need to ask whether the problem is that God is giving us what we need instead of what we want or desire.

It’s not wrong to have questions and even doubts. But when we “think otherwise” we may not be carefully studying or not listening. God may be revealing what we need in an article we never read or a sermon we aren’t present to hear. God may be revealing what we need in a Bible class we skip or from a verse of Scripture a friend shared we ignore. God IS revealing what we need in our Bibles that, at times, remain closed when they desperately need to be opened, read, and mediated on.

Are you “thinking otherwise”? There ARE answers and help. And you know where to find them. Will you?  dd