I believe that a truth of living as a Christian is that we’re flawed beings looking to continually improve ourselves through imitating Jesus. I think these two Bible verses from Paul justify this belief.1
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
I hope it’s obvious that I believe that the Bible has endless founts of wisdom to guide us as Christian leaders in imitating Jesus. However, I also believe that we can learn from worldly wisdom through a Biblical lens.
As far as I can remember in my adult life, I’ve tried to live with a growth mindset. This image from Carol S Dweck has been something I’ve tried to keep in mind as I consider my attitude to various challenges knowing that I don’t want to stand still in life, but I want to grow and become more like Jesus.
I like this image as it depicts how a growth mindset can lead to exponential change through many seemingly minor decisions and reactions. Below I’ll explore each statement in the image and what wisdom we can gather from the Bible in relation to each.
Fixed Mindset - Intelligence is static vs Growth Mindset - Intelligence can be developed
As I stated above, I believe that living as a Christian is a life of sanctification. A process of becoming holy in God’s eyes. Though we are seen as perfectly holy in God’s eyes because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we do not act perfectly today. We become more like Jesus through our lives by trusting and living for him.
When I consider a growth mindset, I don’t just consider it in light of intelligence, I consider a whole person approach. I as a whole person, mind, body, and spirit, am not static, I can be developed by God’s work in me by His Spirit.
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose
Challenges: avoid challenges vs embrace challenges
Jesus never said that living as a Christian was going to be easy. In fact, Jesus was very clear with His disciples.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
As Christian leaders, I believe it’s important to embrace challenge and learn and grow from it. If we aim for comfort in life, it’s going to be hard to follow Jesus and live for God’s glory.
Obstacles: give up easily vs persist in the face of setbacks
James talks about the fact that Christian’s should see joy in trials and temptations. That we should persevere.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
This doesn’t mean that life will be easy and that God will take away hardships from our lives. Rather, we know that only when Jesus returns will heaven and earth be joined and suffering cease.
Effort: see effort as fruitless or worse vs see effort as the path to mastery
When speaking to slaves as part of his instructions to households, Paul says the following to the Colossians.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
Living a life of excellence, I believe, is part of living as a Christian. We live a life not for humans but for God. We know that God works through us by His Spirit and that his good and perfect will is executed on earth. What we do is not fruitless, rather, we grow through what we do.
Criticism: ignore useful negative feedback vs learn from criticism
We know as Christians that the Bible is the ultimate authority and we need to keep each other accountable to God’s teachings.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
As Christian leaders, we should keep each other and ourselves accountable. When someone rebukes us from a Biblical basis (or with Godly wisdom), we will benefit from learning from that rebuke rather than defending ourselves with a desire to look smart.
Success of others: feel threatened by the success of others vs find lessons and inspiration in the success of others.
I think as Christian leaders, we should hold ourselves above this standard. That is to say, not only should we find lessons and inspiration in the success of others, we should also look to build others up through this. Not just for our own sake, but for theirs.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Conclusion
Dweck finishes by saying that those with a fixed mindset will plateau early whereas those with a growth mindset will reach ever-higher levels of achievement. My goal as a Christian leader isn’t to reach ever-higher levels of achievement. Rather, I want to grow so as to be able to follow Jesus as best I can and reflect God’s great love for me to the best of my ability as the tarnished mirror that I am. I feel that I have an obligation to do my best for Jesus. Although I know that God’s will will be done, I also know that God’s will will be brought about through His work in me.
As Christian leaders, we’re not perfect, and we know that we won’t perfectly have a growth mindset. But each time we make a choice to have a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset, we’re making a choice to grow in our ability to further God’s work through us.
I want to finish with this verse. Where Paul speaks of what we should be aiming for with our minds. Though we can look to improve ourselves, ultimately we’re looking to live for Jesus.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Please feel free to click through any of the verses and see them in further context. Like most of my issues, I’m trying to keep this to 2-4 minutes so am not going to go into depth in any of these passages.