Tuesday Column: “Dale Mail”

Dale Pollard

You’ve probably seen a few videos bouncing around where there’s a person sitting at a table with a controversial statement on a sign placed in front of them.  The sign may say one of the following— 

“American civilians should carry guns. Change my mind.” 

“Abortion is wrong no matter what. Change my mind.” 

“There’s no such thing as white privilege. Change my mind.” 

“Your vote doesn’t matter. Change my mind.” 

You get the idea. The irony is that most of these people who are sitting at the table and demanding that someone change their mind— are actually hoping to change your mind. From the moment they set up that sign, sat in their chair, and placed the chip on their shoulder, they’ve already decided that their own minds won’t be changed. While some of the examples used above are important topics to think about, I’d rather talk about our mindset. 

When we read God’s Word, regardless of what we may think we know, if we find something that God has said that contradicts how we think or feel we must be willing to change anyway. 

In fact, it’s the goal of every faithful Christian to have their minds changed everyday! Each day, we are to be transformed to be a little more like the mind of Jesus. 

There were several moments in the life of Christ when the Pharisees tried to get Him to change their mind, but Jesus knew their minds had been firmly made already. They would say things like,

 “You’re not son of God! Show us a sign from heaven!” 

To minds that could not be changed, Jesus replied, “you are an evil and adulterous generation.” 

Though His followers would question Him and lose faith at times, we can still find several occasions in the gospels where we read concerning His disciples, “they understood.” 

The word used for “understand” means that they came to a higher and more complete level of thought. One such instance happens in Matthew 17:13ff. Jesus has just shown them who He truly was after His transfiguration. As He, Peter, James, and John walk down the mountain they ask, “Jesus, why do the scribes say that Elijah must come before the Messiah?” Jesus tells them that Elijah had already come, and he’s just been killed. The text says, “And the disciples understood He was speaking of John the Baptist.” Even though they had grown up in a society that had immersed them in Jewish teachings and beliefs, they were still willing to change their minds for the teachings of Jesus. Many of us could take a page out of their book. At times we’re so convinced that we’re right that we refuse to change even in the face of truth. Perhaps it’s because of the way we were raised or the church we’ve always gone to. Christ demands our minds, so we should be willing to change them for His sake. Change my mind!