Phil 2:1-11
2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
How can we have the same mind, or attitude, as Jesus Christ? It is the result of obedience and humility. In fact, humility is an act of obedience. Humility is the opposite of false pride. But humility in this passage also leads to obedience. It’s all tied together.
For Paul, humility meant he gave up his rights. That’s the attitude Christ had–he gave up his rights as God, when he came to earth in human form.
Where is it hard to obey? I think it is tied in to our pride. Or maybe it’s tied to our drive to be in control. But that’s where I need to experience humility. It still boils down to my attitude. It’s a basic, pervasive attitude of humility that I need as I seek to follow Christ.