“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-7
Let me ask you something: have you ever felt like God was trying to get you to think differently? Not just to change one or two thoughts, but to really see life the way He sees it? That is what a new mindset is all about. God does not want us to live controlled by fear, old habits, traditions, or only what makes sense to us naturally. He wants to renew our minds through His Word. Romans 12:2 reminds us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. And when our minds begin to change, our vision begins to change too. We start seeing people, situations, and even ourselves from God’s point of view.
The Mindset of Jesus
When we look at Philippians 2, we see the attitude Jesus carried. He is God, yet He did not come to earth trying to impress people or prove how powerful He was. He came humbly. He served. He obeyed the Father. Think about that for a moment. Jesus had every right to be honored and worshiped, but He chose humility, obedience, and love. So if we want greater faith, we have to start by asking, “Lord, help me have the mindset of Christ.”
Faith Hears and Obeys God
Faith is not just saying, “I believe in God.” Real faith listens when God speaks and then does what He says. Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. James 1:22 tells us not to only hear the Word, but to do it. So, in everyday language, faith is hearing God and taking Him seriously enough to obey.
Faith Gives Access to the Spiritual Dimension
There is more happening than what we can see with our natural eyes. God is always working in the Spirit. Faith is what helps us connect with what He is doing. Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. That means faith reaches for what God has promised before it shows up in the natural. When God shows us something in the Spirit, faith helps us believe it, receive it, and walk toward its manifestation by grace.
Growing in Levels of Faith
Faith grows when we use it. It is a lot like a muscle. If we never use it, it stays weak. But when we trust God in real-life situations, pray when we do not know what to do, speak His Word when things look difficult, and obey when He leads us, our faith becomes stronger. Hebrews 5:14 says mature believers have trained their senses by constant use to know the difference between good and evil. The more we practice faith, the more sensitive we become to God’s voice, His direction, and His timing.
Our Priesthood in Christ
We also need to understand who we are in Christ. We are not just church members, Sunday worshipers, or people trying to make it through the week. We are God’s people. 1 Peter 2:9 says we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own special people. That means we belong to Him, we represent Him, and we carry His presence wherever we go. As priests unto God, we are called to pray, worship, obey, and stand for His will right here on the earth.
We Are Already in the Battle
Now, we have to be honest: we are already in a battle. The battle did not begin the moment life got hard. We stepped into it when we received salvation. It is a battle between good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. That is why we cannot afford to walk around spiritually asleep. We need open eyes, open ears, and a heart ready to follow God.
The Lesson from Saul
Saul’s story gives us a clear picture of what can happen when we hear God but do not fully obey. Samuel told Saul to attack the Amalekites and destroy everything, but Saul kept some things back. Maybe he thought he had a good reason. Maybe it made sense to him at the time. But partial obedience is still disobedience. Samuel told him, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). Saul’s mistake teaches us that faith is not picking and choosing which parts of God’s Word we want to follow. Faith trusts God enough to obey Him completely.
Moving into Maturity
This is why God is calling His Church to grow up. He does not want us stuck in the same place year after year. He wants us to move into greater levels of faith so His glory can be seen in the earth. Ephesians 4:13 says God wants us to grow into maturity in Christ. Hebrews 6:1 also tells us to go on to maturity. That means there is more for us to learn, more faith for us to walk in, more obedience for us to practice, and more of God’s glory for the world to see.
Jesus Is Our Example
Jesus is our perfect example. He was with the Father in glory, yet He willingly came down to earth and became like us, except without sin. John 1:1 tells us that the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 5:23 teaches that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. But Jesus did not choose the easy road. He chose to serve. He chose to suffer. He chose to obey all the way to the cross. His life shows us that greater faith is not about being important in people’s eyes. It is about surrendering to the Father, walking in love, and trusting Him completely.
Final Encouragement
So where do we go from here? We ask God to renew our minds. We ask Him to strengthen our faith. We ask Him to open our spiritual eyes and ears so we can recognize what He is doing. And then we make a decision to obey Him, even when it stretches us. God is not calling His Church to stay weak, silent, or immature. He is calling us to arise, walk in authority, carry His presence, and show the world what His Kingdom looks like. This is our time to mature, believe, obey, and move forward with greater faith.
Minister A Francine Green, August 2026