Philippians 2 - The Blueprint for True Humility!

Philippians 2 - NIV

Enduring Word Commentary

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

If humility is one of if the most important traits a Christian should exhibit, these verses from Philippians 2 give us the blueprint for what that looks like. The title is very fitting, "Imitating Christ's humility!" We are to imitate everything about Jesus, but just how do we do that?

Paul says, 

"In humility consider others as better than yourselves."

This is not an easy thing to do when you are raised in a culture that bombards you with message that you should "get all you can when you can", and "look out for number one". Sometimes we are subtly taught that you should use any means to "get to the top". While we should always do our best and strive for excellence, we can do it with a servant's heart not looking for our own personal glory. And it all starts with our "attitude"! Paul also uses the word "mindset". 

We are told that attitude is everything in life, and this is especially true in our Christian life. Why is this so? Because our Lord and Savior demonstrated this attitude of servanthood. when he willingly stepped out of heaven to be a servant even unto death on the cross. 

Paul says, "Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped but emptied himself."

If anybody had a reason to be prideful it was the Son of Man. After all, he was there in the beginning with God at Creation. And, he will come against to raise the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. But first instead he "emptied" himself and became a servant. Importantly he did not empty himself of "his divinity" that would be a grave theological error. 

Nonetheless he did choose to become one of us. In his 33 years as a man, he experience all that we experience as human beings including:  joy, pain, sorrow, loss, excitment, hunger, thirst, love, suffering, and abadonment by those he loved the most. including His Father in heaven. He experienced being forsaken by His Father, the moment the sin of the world was laid upon him on the cross and the Father allowed him to be the sin sacrifice for the world. 

Jesus tells the disciples in Mark 10:43-45 what true greatness looks like. He says to them,

"But not so with you, for whoever wants to be great must become your servant. Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be serve, but to serve and give his life for many."

God is always looking out for those who have a humble, willing, and servant's heart. God knows those who will try to take credit away from Him when they serve. When you are a true servant, you don't care who gets the credit. Your only joy is serving Jesus and helping others to know his great and deep love for them. 

Those who serve in this way can look forward to the day when they come before the judgment seat of Christ and hear the words, 

"Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things so now I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in Your Master's happiness". Matthew 25:23

Where do you tend to get prideful in your life? What would it look like to change your mindset to be a servant rather than be served?

Are you more concerned about getting your reward here on earth, or are you storing up a reward in heaven, which you will receive when Jesus returns?

What is one practical way you could be more a humble servant in your life? I.e Your marriage, a friendship, a ministry God might be calling you to, at work? 

I have always loved this verse from the Old Testament, 

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Corinthians 16:9

Jesus, thank you for the example you set for what true humility looks like. Help us to develop a mindset that emulates the way you lived your life, not looking to be served, but to serve and give our lives away! We look forward to the day we will be in your presence to hear those words, "Well done good and faithful servant! Come and share Your master's happiness!" 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 16 - The Households of Lydia and the Philippian Jailer Come to Faith and Are Baptized TOGETHER!

Acts 16 - NIV   Enduring Word Commentary Timothy Joins Paul and Silas 16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Though Timothy was already a disciple, his mom was a Jewish Christian and his dad was Greek. Presumably the father was not a believer. Though his mom was Jewish it doesn't appear as if Timothy was circumcised. Though it would appear as if Timothy did not need to be circumcised because he was under the new covenant, Paul circumcised him anyway...
Read more

Romans 3 - Alien Righteousness

Romans 3 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Righteousness Through Faith 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. These are some of the most important verses written by Paul in all of scripture. Paul has shown why no person could hope to be made right with G...
Read more

Matthew 18:6-9 Causing to Stumble

Causing to Stumble 6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Reflection: Matthew reminds us today that we don't live only unto ourselves. Our actions have repercussions on others either directly or indirectly. This is especially true for children and youth, who are impressionable. I still remember when I was...
Read more