Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5–8
In 1951, Solomon Asch conducted a famous series of psychology experiments on conformity. Participants were asked to compare the lengths of lines on a card—a simple task with an obvious answer. Yet when everyone else in the room intentionally gave the wrong answer, many of the test subjects followed the crowd, even though they knew it was incorrect. The experiment revealed a powerful truth: our thinking is often shaped by the influences around us. We like to believe we think independently, but the voices we listen to, the ideas we consume, and the people we spend time with all have a profound impact on how we view the world.
Every day, we are being shaped by something. News headlines, social media, entertainment, workplace conversations, and cultural values constantly compete for our attention. If we are not careful, we can begin to adopt ways of thinking that are far removed from God’s truth. This is one reason it is so important that we follow the instruction of Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” God desires for us to think differently—not merely according to human wisdom, but according to the example of Christ. His mind was marked by humility, obedience, servanthood, and submission to the Father’s will.
Such thinking does not develop accidentally. It grows as we spend time in God’s Word. Scripture renews our minds and helps us see life from God’s perspective. As we learn His truth, our thoughts begin to reflect His character. The battle for Christian living is often won or lost in the mind. Before our actions change, our thinking must change. And before our thinking changes, we must regularly expose ourselves to the truth of God’s Word.
