A few weeks back I wrote a post called "dishes in the sink" about living with people and the need to think about others and being humble and selfless and so on. Well, about one week ago my life got flipped upside down in this area and will continue to more so from here on out. I got engaged to the most amazing women. My life just went from thinking about someone in accordance to my life in various ways from time to time to having a completely different mindset 24/7, I think about her in all decisions I make. I'm not here to talk about Danielle and myself directly, for this is more the spring board for what I want to tlak about. This is more about the depth of selflessness and humility that we are called to as disciples of Y'shua. How God calls us deeper into this the further we go in life and our walk with Y'shua as his disciples.
Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
First its a plural action that the Apostle is calling the people of God into. WE are to have this among each other as we do life together. Paul is trying to encourage the philippians (and us today) to look, see and understand that situations that are outside of our control will come and how we are to handle it. Now granted this is not my situation or yours (most likely) this day, but the need for communial action is and always will be there in the church. This Epistle (personal letter) was written while Paul was in a roman prison. He talks many times about his emprisionment in the intro of this letter (1:7, 1:13, 1:17, 1:19) and also about being like minded later on in the letter (2:1-2, 3:17). These are strong words but necessary as we are Y'shua's disciples.
As Y'shua walked the earth he only followed and listened to the Father (John 5:19-20). Y'shua said "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and give his life as a randsom for many" (Mark 10:45). We see the act of giving what you have for the sake of others. Not just so they have but so they may have life and have it abundently (John 10:10). Our lives are to be so that others have life within themselves not for our sake, but theirs. This act of humility is necessary Paul says in the first few verses of Philippians 2. He says "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being full accord and of one mind" (2:2) and continues one about thinking of others above yourself. This is all in a situation when Paul is in prison. Probably not Paul's favorite place but one he learned acceptance of (4:12).
So I ask do we walk into a situation with joy (Hab. 3:18) and our eyes fixed on Y'shua (Heb. 12:1-2)? Or do we look to what we have to deal with or the situation (like Jobs wife, Job 2:9) instead of the one who is sovereign over all situations in ways we will never understand? (Isa. 43:3-7, 55:8-9; Rom. 11:33-36). Paul's gaze was on the one who was sovereign not a situational part of life. I want to encourage us to do this communally and not just individually as most take it practially this way. We are told that we will prove our lives as Y'shuas's disciples by how we live as individuals, but I would say more so together (John 13:34-35, 15:8; 2 Peter 1:3-11). Living together takes a loss of ones life more then from time to time giving something up for others (sacrificing) and is really only at our convience which is not true sacrifice at all.
I'm not claiming it to be easy but something we can and are to walk towards. Let us do it together!
Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
First its a plural action that the Apostle is calling the people of God into. WE are to have this among each other as we do life together. Paul is trying to encourage the philippians (and us today) to look, see and understand that situations that are outside of our control will come and how we are to handle it. Now granted this is not my situation or yours (most likely) this day, but the need for communial action is and always will be there in the church. This Epistle (personal letter) was written while Paul was in a roman prison. He talks many times about his emprisionment in the intro of this letter (1:7, 1:13, 1:17, 1:19) and also about being like minded later on in the letter (2:1-2, 3:17). These are strong words but necessary as we are Y'shua's disciples.
As Y'shua walked the earth he only followed and listened to the Father (John 5:19-20). Y'shua said "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and give his life as a randsom for many" (Mark 10:45). We see the act of giving what you have for the sake of others. Not just so they have but so they may have life and have it abundently (John 10:10). Our lives are to be so that others have life within themselves not for our sake, but theirs. This act of humility is necessary Paul says in the first few verses of Philippians 2. He says "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being full accord and of one mind" (2:2) and continues one about thinking of others above yourself. This is all in a situation when Paul is in prison. Probably not Paul's favorite place but one he learned acceptance of (4:12).
So I ask do we walk into a situation with joy (Hab. 3:18) and our eyes fixed on Y'shua (Heb. 12:1-2)? Or do we look to what we have to deal with or the situation (like Jobs wife, Job 2:9) instead of the one who is sovereign over all situations in ways we will never understand? (Isa. 43:3-7, 55:8-9; Rom. 11:33-36). Paul's gaze was on the one who was sovereign not a situational part of life. I want to encourage us to do this communally and not just individually as most take it practially this way. We are told that we will prove our lives as Y'shuas's disciples by how we live as individuals, but I would say more so together (John 13:34-35, 15:8; 2 Peter 1:3-11). Living together takes a loss of ones life more then from time to time giving something up for others (sacrificing) and is really only at our convience which is not true sacrifice at all.
I'm not claiming it to be easy but something we can and are to walk towards. Let us do it together!
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