I read one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s prayers last week and a phrase he wrote is still echoing in my mind. Here was a man who left the comfort of America to go to Nazi Germany to be with his fellow Jews. He was captured and sent to a Nazi prison for two years. Before he was executed in that prison, he wrote many prayers and poems. The last line in the prayer I read was, “Think Thy kingdom thoughts in mine.”
I have been making that my prayer this week. I don’t want to think my thoughts. I want to think God’s thoughts. Better yet, I want Him to think His thoughts in me. To do that, I have to yield my mind to Him. I have to give Him that control. It has to be more than a prayer. It requires action on my part. I know my thoughts and they’re not always kingdom thoughts.
If I truly let Him think His kingdom thoughts in me, how would that affect everything I do? I know it would change my priorities. What I consider important right now, doesn’t line up with what’s important to His kingdom. If I truly thought kingdom thoughts, I would be doing everything I can to get as many people into the kingdom as possible before my time is up. I’d sacrifice all that is secure now for what is eternal.
Knowing what needs to be done and knowing the sacrifice that will take creates a struggle. It creates a discontentment within me for where I am knowing where I need to be. I want to hold on to the things that my earthly mind thinks bring me security. The kingdom mind says, “Those things are temporary. Let them go and find real security.” Real security is found by having faith in what we cannot see over what we can see.
It’s difficult to have that kind of faith. We are raised in a world who’s culture is the opposite of that. Our culture says, “Acquire as much as you can so that you can retire comfortably.” Jesus said, “Sell all you have, give the money to the poor and come follow me.” Many of us hear that statement and are like the rich, young ruler who originally heard it. We walk away sad because our faith, trust and security are in the temporary things.
I wonder what would have become of him if he had done what Jesus said. He clearly loved God and had obeyed all the commandments since he was young. He was a good “Christian” but he asked what he lacked to be great. He wasn’t willing to make the sacrifice required to be truly great in God’s kingdom. In reality, most of us aren’t. We aren’t willing to adopt His kingdom thoughts that would require the sacrifice necessary that leads to greatness.
I’m trying to get there. I have made Bonhoeffer’s prayer my own even after I’ve understood what that means. I’m not content to be a good Christian. God has called me and you to greatness. He leaves the choice up to each one of us though. Are we willing to sacrifice what we think makes us secure in this world so that others can truly live? Are we really willing to make the prayer, “think Thy kingdom thoughts in mine” our own?
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 