Hymn Exegesis: May the Mind of Christ My Savior
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 KJV)
I love hymns. The older the better. The ones that have stood the test of time and are still full of deep truths that feed my soul. So from time to time I want to share a hymn with a bit of “hymn exegesis”.
May the Mind of Christ, My Savior
1 May the mind of Christ my Savior
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow’r controlling
All I do and say.
Written by Kate B. Wilkinson in 1925, this hymn immediately starts from a perspective foreign to so much of Christianity today. Not, “Give me the heart of Christ”. Not “Give me the eyes of Christ”, nor “Give me the hands of Christ”. No, the hymn petitions God for the mind of Christ. This is naturally from Philippians 2:5 I’ve quoted above. And the mind of Christ in me will, with God’s love and power control all I do and say. Oh let us have a people consumed with desire for the mind of Christ.
2 May the Word of Christ dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His pow’r.
Here again, we see another expression foreign to much of modern Christianity. We do not seek some experience, some ecstatic event that moves us to an emotional connection with God. This hymn seeks the WORD of Christ to dwell in our hearts. This is taken from Colossians 3:16 “ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (KJV). Interestingly, this is the verse commanding us to instruct one another in “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”
3 May the peace of Christ my Savior
Rule my life in every thing,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.
In our trials or the stresses of life, we are often quick to cry out to God for the peace of Christ. Yet once again, this verse talks about Christ’s rule in our hearts. Here, the hymn petitions God to have the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. But notice the reason for it. It is not so that we may endure our own trials and difficulties, it is so that we may minister to the sick and sorrowing.
4 May the love of Jesus fill me,
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.
This seems to again reference Philippians 2:5, adding verses 6–8. The mind of Christ referred to specifically in these verses is Christ’s humbling himself by taking on the likeness of men and became obedient even to death on the cross. Here, victory is found in exalting Christ so that we are filled with his love, our own selves being humbled in the process.
5 May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.
This verse speaks of endurance. It requires strength and bravery to run this race. This is not your best life now. This is blood and sweat and tears. This is confronting a foe. This is strife and struggle and heartache in pursuit of Christ.
6 May His beauty rest upon me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.
Here is an even more unusual line. May his beauty rest on me. This is a plea for God to make the preaching of his word to the lost beautiful to those we speak to. And in more of the humility spoken of in verse 4 we ask that they would forget us and know only God. Oh that God would grant us the prayer of this song!
