May 11, 2022 HAVE THIS ATTITUDE
Philippians 2:3-7 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard another as more important than himself, do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
Can you imagine how many relational problems and conflicts would be non-existent if each one considered others more important than themselves? This passage exposes selfishness as a root of conflict and broken relationships. We live with a certain attitude in life; and the attitude we live with determines the health and the quality of our relationships. We are told to ‘have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.’ Jesus had the attitude of empting Himself and becoming a servant-even though He was God. The awesome good news is that we determine our attitude; we can choose to have the same attitude that Christ had! We must see that having the power to choose our attitude is a big deal, and it puts us in a place of responsibility. It may sound impossible to do, but we can live life in such a way that we do not act out of selfishness or conceit, but out of an attitude of serving. Being a servant does not mean that we neglect our own interest; it means that we live with an attitude of concern for the interest of others. Of course there is an important truth we must not overlook in living according to this, and other passages. We cannot live according to the ways of God in our own strength; only through the workings of the Holy Spirit in us can we do so. All too often there is a missing link for many when it comes to living according to the ways of God. A most important truth to grasp if we are to live as God designed is that of knowing our true identity as children of God. God has made us new, not refurbished; He has given us a new nature, a new heart, and a new spirit, and we have the mind of Christ. When we live out of our new identity, we naturally want to live out the scriptures and we want to please Him in all we do; His ways become natural to us; no longer do we have to try in our own strength to obey the scriptures or please God. The key is that we walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh-that’s our choice. (Just a note; Romans 7 is not Paul’s testimony-he was describing what is like to live according to the flesh.) May we today have the attitude that was in Christ Jesus!
Galatians 5:13-14, 16 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed