This Mind

30 Days in Philippians - day 14

Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

I will say upfront that this section of Philippians is one of the most profound statements about Christ in all of Scripture. As such it deserves more attention than is possible in a brief devotional. So, I encourage you to study these truths more deeply. My goal here is to invite you to begin to do what Paul exhorts us to in that first line:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…

By “mind” Paul means attitude or way of thinking. And Paul does here what he and other authors of the New Testament writings do...he points us to Christ as the way to learn how to live. And in almost every case, as Paul does here, there is a connection to His death. The path downward...humility, obscurity, obedience, even suffering...is not accidental. It is the very mindset of Christ.

If we summed up the Christlike attitudes Paul points us to here, the first would be one of thinking about others, not ourselves. We often resist this kind of thinking because of our fear that we will diminish ourselves in some way. But Jesus did not become less God by becoming a man. He did not cling to His divine privileges, though they were rightfully His. And He never considered His glory something to be grasped and held onto at all costs. (That is the idea behind the phrase “thought it not robbery…”)

Too often, we fail at just this point. We grasp at our perceived reputation or position and fear that humble service will diminish us in some way. Therefore, we put ourselves first—always—and others are a secondary thought at best.

This is not the way of Christ.

Jesus not only thought first of others, He became a servant. It is important to note that He didn’t merely serve, He became a servant. There is a difference. To serve is something just about anyone can do at times. Some will serve in the right moment if they believe their “service” will win them applause and recognition. But to become a servant means that your identity and way of thinking about life revolves around that reality. It means you serve because that is who you are.

And this kind of life will cost you something. It will cost you recognition. It will often place you in positions where you are overlooked. It may even tie your life to people who do not improve your status, and may even bring you down in the eyes of others.

The other attitude we see here in these verses is that of sacrifice. Jesus put others first and served in the ultimate way...He gave up His life for us.

While in some cases that may be what is asked of us, physical death for others is not what Paul is saying is required to follow Jesus in this way. His point is that being willing to sacrifice for others is what it means to have the attitude and thinking of Jesus.

This might mean being willing to give up our time or resources for the sake of others. It might mean we are willing to associate with others that society rejects and risk being rejected with them. It may mean choosing obedience when it is costly, quiet, and unnoticed. And the point of this kind of sacrifice is always for the sake of caring for the needs of others.

This is a high bar...the highest standard of them all...the attitude of Jesus Himself.

But we are not asked to carry the weight of this calling alone. Christ not only sets the example, He gives the power by His Spirit to enable us to live with His mind.

So the question becomes: where are you still grasping instead of giving? Where are you serving occasionally instead of becoming a servant?