I think that in today’s age, we tend to live life in a more self-serving time.
What can I do for me? Or “I am in need of some self-care!”
Caring for ourselves isn’t bad, but are we putting it above caring for our neighbor or caring for those in our Church?
Do we tend to look inwardly first and foremost and only outwardly when we find the time?
When time is already a rare commodity.
Bible Time
The headline for Philippians 2:1-11 is literally Joy in Serving.
Subheading – Imitating Christ’s Humility.
What if we have it all wrong, what if we are thinking if I can just get more “me time” I’ll have more Joy!
Instead, what if we notice our Joy when we are Serving? Think about a time you helped others, didn’t you feel a certain Joy afterword?
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
In Whom
Verses 2:1-2 tell us with whom we are involved.
We are Sharing in the Spirit, and we are being one in Spirit.
It is IN the Spirit in which we are sharing or being one. We are not doing any of this on our own.
2:1 opens with, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ…how are we united with Christ? 1 Corinthians 6:17 says; But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
So we are with the Lord and are one with him in Spirit.
We as a church body are being one in Spirit, and we are Sharing in the Spirit. Our actions then reflect this which turns our hearts towards having hearts of service. Do you serve in your church? Do you give any of your time joyfully on Sunday or dare I even say outside of Sunday?
2:2 Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind…
Like-minded, community, being one…we are together, we are IN this life together, side by side, we have the same goal, so how does that goal get reached?
We are to serve Joyfully and with…
How
Verses 3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility…value others above yourselves.
Not looking to your own interest yet each of you to the interests of others.
The goal of being one, serving each other, and alongside of each other gets reached in humility, in being humble. Laying down the wants for ourselves and focusing on the interest, betterment of all. What does the community need? How am I going to lay down a part of myself so that I have the time and space to focus on what the Spirit is leading me to do? What are my acts of service?
Ephesians 4:4-5 says, there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
We the church, are the body, we are the one. It is not a singular one person, but rather a unit of one.
Therefore Humble ourselves before one another. Joyfully Serving one another!
Relational Mindset
Verse 2:5-8
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!
If God can become man (Jesus) who was the very nature of a servant in human likeness. Then what excuse do we have? He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. A death he died to save us from our sins. He took on every sin so that we may live… how are we living today? What type of relationships are we having?
In your relationships with one another, sons and daughters, sibling, friend, significant other, spouse, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. Humbling ourselves to each other to be a joyful servant. Laying down the mindset of what these people can do for me, and picking up the mindset of what can I do for my people.
Bow Down
Verses 2:9-11
Therefor God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Isaiah 2:8
Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made…
We must be careful of what we are bowing down to.
Write down a few things that are in your life right now that you idolize. – Do these occupy too much of our time?
The work of your hands, does Christ show in/through what you do?
I joyfully and humbly serve you
What is my takeaway from the reading? Man do I fall short. I have room to grow in joyfully serving my children, my neighbors, our church, the mission the Lord has called us to. It’s easy to look for excuses as to why I can’t do this or that, it’s easy to say, “but I have this long list of things to do” IF our lives our so full we miss the moments Jesus places before us to be present in the way He has created us to be. We miss many moments/ways in which we are called to serve because we’ve got our own plan as to how we should be doing so.
Pray with me
Jesus, the name that is above every name. I pray that every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. That every tongue acknowledges that you are Lord. Lord, I invite you into every aspect of my life, that I may find Joy in Serving. Lord, that I wake in the morning humbling myself as you’ve humbled yourself to the point of death on the cross for us. To serve my friends in Christ and also my friends who have yet to know you. To humbly serve those in my church and in my community. Lord show me what idols have crept into my life and distracted me from my servant heart. Bring me back to the heart of why I am here! I ask these things in Jesus name ~ Amen.