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When it comes to developing a Christian mindset, the Lord has provided all the help that we need (2 Peter 1:3). This help is found in the means of grace. The means of grace are God’s Word, prayer, and the sacraments. Some have rightly referred to them as the means of growth. As we strive to stand firm in the culture in which we live, the means of grace help us know where to stand and where to find the fortitude to stand. The Lord has given us three primary opportunities to make use of the means of grace: the church, the family, and personal practice.

in your church

When the Lord calls people to Himself, He also calls them into community with others. He calls us to gather as His people to avail ourselves of the means of grace. It is when we come together that we recognize that, ultimately, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). On the Lord’s Day, we come together to join with our fellow kingdom citizens to be reminded that kingdom thinking is different from the world’s thinking.

What happens when we meet is essential to the development of a Christian mindset. First of all, we feed on the Word, where, in a world of relativism, we hear truth; where, in a world of doubt, we hear certainty; where, in a world of confusion, we hear clarity. The urgency of attending a church where the Bible is accurately proclaimed cannot be overstated. Do not compromise. Do not rationalize. Do not be sentimental and stay in a church that does not accurately teach the Bible because this is where you and your family have “always gone to church.” Without the faithful exposition of Scripture, there can be no hope of developing the “renewed mind” of which Paul writes in Romans 12:1–2. In a culture that is increasingly secular and antagonistic to Christianity, we need the food of the Word to strengthen us for the battle. As we gather to hear the preaching of the Word, we are reminded that we are not alone; we are sons and daughters of the King, and we have brothers and sisters who stand beside us. Find a church where the Word is faithfully and accurately proclaimed and become an active part of that body of believers.

Another corporate practice in developing a Christian mindset is prayer. I recently read a report by someone who attended a Sunday service where he heard a wonderful sermon on prayer, only to have the pastoral prayer dropped from the service due to lack of time. How does praying together as the family of God help us develop a Christian mindset? As we pray together, our hearts and minds are drawn together in a united effort to see kingdom values reflected on earth as they are in heaven. Corporate prayer frees us from the horizontal bonds of hopelessness and anxiety and releases us to the vertical perspective that God is our fortress and strength.

Practicing the means of grace in the church, in the family, and in our personal walk is essential to the development of a Christian mindset.

The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are also important means of grace to believers. Unlike prayer and Scripture, the sacraments are exclusively for use together as the body of believers. Question and answer 92 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism helps us understand the value of the sacraments: “What is a sacrament? A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.” Our minds are prone to wander, and in the sacraments we are given visible and tangible signs of God’s grace and mercy to us to help press home gospel truths despite our distractions. Baptism reminds us that the covenant relationship into which God has welcomed us is sovereignly instituted and is as unbreakable as His Word. The Lord’s Supper is an ongoing, regular reminder of the completed work of Christ on our behalf. As we partake of the elements, we are assured again of God’s forgiveness and of His help in our daily walk with Him. The sacraments help settle into our minds the glory of His work on our behalf and the security that we have in knowing Him.

in your family

Where do we begin to learn what to think about God, others, and ourselves? Of course, our regular engagement with the church is important, but in so many ways isn’t the family the “front line” of developing a Christian mindset? Families grow in the Lord together when they practice the means of grace at home. Children who are not being instructed in the Word are unlikely to have much hope of developing a Christian mindset. It is the responsibility of parents to establish a time to bring the family together to meet with the Lord, but a key to establishing family devotions is “flexibility.” When the children are young, you have a captive audience, and dinnertime or bedtime can be spent together in the Word. There are, however, lots of challenges to regular family devotions as children grow and schedules become more complicated. But don’t give up. In our family life, there were plenty of “fits and starts” to our devotional times, but we continued to persevere. Over the years, dinnertime turned out to be the best option.

In addition to the challenge of when to have family devotions is the question of what to do. Again, this is a matter that requires flexibility. Age-appropriate Bible storybooks are good for children when they are young. As they grow older, look for guides that include Scripture and helpful comments. For example, consider making use of Ligonier Ministries’ Tabletalk as a family. Tabletalk walks through books of the Bible and provides application to the Christian life. Of course, you can never go wrong by simply reading a chapter of Scripture together. I have dear friends who worked through the entire Bible, reading one chapter at a time after dinner every night followed by brief comments and a question or two.

In your family devotions, be sure to spend time in prayer. Simply asking, “How can I be praying for you?” should provide opportunities to teach family members that the Lord cares for their concerns and that they have a family who shares their burdens and joys. There is nothing more rewarding than observing your children’s beginning to see their daily lives and experiences through the lens of Scripture and making the Christian worldview “their own.”


Now that our children are grown and our grandchildren are becoming adults, Every morning, I send out a text (which I call “morning manna”) including a verse or two of encouragement from the Word to every family member. This is sent on a group text that we call “Family Thread”; it is also a place for family prayer requests and important news. Don’t forget the promise of Scripture: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6).

in your life

Last but not least in the development of a Christian mindset is regularly engaging in the means of grace personally in your daily life, specifically in Bible reading and prayer. The questions addressed in the discussion of family practice apply here. First of all, when is the right time for you to read and pray? I suppose I should ask when you read and pray now. How is that working for you? If not so well, reconsider a better time. Many find first thing in the morning to be the best time. Orienting your mind and heart to the things of the Lord is a great way to start your day. It is also a strategic time to bring your concerns about the immediate challenges of the day to the Lord in prayer.

Next we ask what to do in our daily devotions. There are lots of Bible-reading programs available, including many apps. I like to read through the Bible every year and have found the “five-day” reading plan to be most helpful. The readings are scheduled for five days so that if you miss a day (or two), you can catch up. I have found this to forestall the discouragement of falling hopelessly behind.

Concerning prayer, it is a good practice to integrate your prayers with your Bible reading, pausing to thank God for a promised blessing, to reflect on a new concept discovered, or to confess a sin that the Spirit brings to your mind. In terms of ongoing prayer requests, some keep a journal, others use written lists, and some use apps such as PrayerMate to keep track of regular prayer concerns.

Another question to ask when considering our personal use of the means of grace is “where?” If possible, find a quiet place that is free from distractions and away from the inevitable interruptions of email and media. A word of counsel: if your when answer is early morning, you are more likely to find a quiet place.

In conclusion, practicing the means of grace in the church, in the family, and in our personal walk is essential to the development of a Christian mindset. These have been provided by the Lord to prevent conformity to the world: “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

Principles of a Christian Mindset

The Goal of a Christian Mindset

Keep Reading The Christian Mindset

From the November 2024 Issue
Nov 2024 Issue