Do Me A Favor
Please turn to Philippians 2:1-11. What is your first thought in the morning? Let us hear what Paul, who remains in prison, is writing to the Philippians regarding the importance to living right. Not mincing words, this is a tall order. Paul is asking the Philippians to get along and love one another. It is something we expect from children but we need reinforced throughout life.
Paul is expecting the Philippians and us, to think of ourselves the way Christ thought of himself. If anyone had a right to put himself in first place, to expect the best seat, to demand the special privileges, or to see himself exalted, it was Jesus, but he did not – and nor should we. Mirroring Christ, let us be humble and loving servants.
Paul goes on to expect us to respond like Jesus pleading, “Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top.” Telling us to work at “Putting ourselves aside and commit to helping others get ahead. Urging us not to be obsessed with getting our own advantage. And imploring us to forget ourselves long enough to lend a helping hand,” to paraphrase Peterson. We need to get over ourselves.
Begging the readers to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” saying “Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,” Paul is pointing us toward our responsibility as Christians. We need to have the same mindset as Christ. Friends, Jesus did not cling to His rights, he emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. He set the example and we need to hold ourselves to that standard.
Humility in a biblical sense is acting with a heart dependent on God; a person of humility is strong, secure, and emotionally healthy- not someone seeking recognition, rather a person fully capable of loving and celebrating others. C. S. Lewis defined humility as, “…not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” This quote comes from Mere Christianity and, if you have not read it, I recommend it. Lewis has a writing style that invites vulnerability, piques our interest, and draws us to introspection, like this letter of Paul’s. Some nuggets that overlap in Mere Christianity and Philippians 2 are: exploring Christian ethics, expecting unity among Christians, and living a life in Christ transforms a Christian in a way that is obvious to onlookers.
Take a moment and consider, other than your study of scripture, what or who sets that example for you? Can people tell you are a Christian because your responses, demeanor, actions, and attitude define humility, unity, and love? We may underestimate what modeling a life in Christ does for ourselves and for those we love. My parents have always instilled a focus on Jesus…reading scripture, saying grace, listening to hymns and gospel peppered with some country on the radio, and praying at night, but something my dad always impressed upon me was…before you put your feet on the floor in the morning, thank God for another day and ask for his help to do your best to serve him.
To paraphrase, Paul is asking the Philippians, “Is God the first thought that comes into your mind in the morning?” Church, beginning the day claiming Jesus, living for, and living like Jesus, will set us up for a good day no matter what may come.
Friends, Paul is telling them to be like-minded, this point would not be written if it did not need to be heard. As Christians we need to set aside our differences and follow Christ. Frankly, that may be easier said than done and it might even be easier to help someone else see their shortcomings than it is for us to name our own and that’s why Paul is bringing it up. We need to work toward peace; strive to give, rather than store up; and to love as opposed to feeding the flesh with words that can be forgiven but not always forgotten. We need to seek and serve Christ in our day-to-day activities - asking ourselves, “What would Jesus do?” We are all a work in progress, but are we working to progress?
This text challenges us while encouraging us. Jesus, name above all names, Jesus came so he could leave, he lived so he could die. Are we truly living a life pointing to Christ? Is our worship genuinely giving him all praise? Church, these are sobering questions, ones that require us to see that Christianity is not a compartment of life but rather a way of life. We need to shed what makes us self-serving and get along following the servant and loving heart of Jesus. And all God’s people say, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Kerry
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