(Read the previous devotion here.)
Philippians 2:1–11
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.“
Philippians 2:3-4
Paul is proposing that the Philippians make his joy complete with how they live their lives. He has just finished writing (in the previous chapter) that suffering is a gift, and he is now lifting up Jesus as an example of how to live the Christian life.
Paul knows that even in suffering, there is encouragement in Christ. God’s love is with us in the toughest times, and the Holy Spirit is with us even in our weakness. He proposes that we must seek to be more like Jesus, to pursue the same servant attitude that Jesus exemplified. There is no unity without humility.
A suffering servant who was equally God and human gave up His rights as God to live fully human. For us! And now He is exalted as our Lord.
We should imitate this attitude. We often seek to become more in this competitive world and to be recognized; we don’t really seek to become a nobody. Sometimes, we are not even aware of our neighbor’s needs. But when we stop obsessing over our flaws and believe that God loves us for who we are, we know we are enough, and we don’t have to promote ourselves. We can become less to let others become more.
We must release control of what happens around us and become willing to do what God asks of us. God rewards our humble and obedient service, not only in this earthly life, but also in our heavenly life.
Prayer:
Lord, lead me into taking a Christlike attitude, to think more of others than I do about myself, to be aware of others’ needs in my day to day, and to be able to serve them. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Emilia Faraj
