Philippians 2:1-8
Walk in Humility and Have the Mind of Christ
Today is Good Friday, a day to remember our Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.
It is a day to think deeply and carefully about the mind of Jesus Christ and the events leading up to His death and His resurrection. As you reflect on what Jesus did and what it means to you, I encourage you to also reflect on your personal journey with the Lord.
The opposite of humility is pride. Pride is defined as a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. King Nebuchadnezzar is an example of how damaging pride can be to a person’s spirit and mind. To get a good visual of the suffering of the King, read Daniel 5:18-21 in The Message Bible.
Hopefully, this is an adequate description of the consequences of pride that makes us not want to travel down that path. Pride is to be avoided, at all costs. Pride breeds disunity.
Humility, on the other hand, is to be sought after, at all costs. Humility creates unity. It is the path that Jesus Christ took and that He has for each one of us. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, humility is defined as a prominent Christian grace (Rom 12:3; 15:17,18; 1 Cor 3:5-7, 2 Cor 3:5; Phil 4:11-13). It is a state of mind well pleasing to God (1 Pet 3:4); it preserves the soul in tranquility (Psa 69:32,33), and makes us patient under trials (Job 1:22).
Paul encourages the Philippians to practice humility. To walk in that humility, you have to have the mind of Jesus Christ as stated in Philippians 2:5 (NKJV), “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
