The main thrust of our church theme this year is “to be like Jesus”.
We know that our minds control everything that we do. As we often say – mind over matter. Therefore our minds play an important role in the quest to be like Jesus.
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
(Philippians 2:1-8, ESV)
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul admonished the brothers and sisters to stand united in the face of oppression. To do this, he asked them to be “of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (Phil 2:2). But what type of “mind” is Paul referring to? In v.5, he says: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Paul wants them to have the mind of Christ Jesus.
What then, is the “mind of Jesus”? Paul goes on in Phil 2:6-8 to describe the utter humility of Jesus. Though He was God, He emptied Himself, and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross”. So the mind of Jesus is primarily one of humility.
Like many things that we do, striving to “be like Jesus” starts with making up our minds. Let us make a decision to take on the humility of Jesus. Let humility guide our decisions, our words and actions. It may mean serving those whom we think are not worthy, doing work that we think is not worthwhile, or stepping back to let others take the lead.
Take a moment to think about what being like Jesus means to you, and decide in your mind to take the first step to make it happen.