Philippians 2:1-11

Really I don’t feel like I need to write much at all for these verses this week. Paul is very straight forward, and throws some very heavy stuff at us. Many times while reading through these verses I have felt a weight attached to them – a burden, if you will, to be perfect like Christ – if you feel like that at all skip ahead to verse 13 and take solace in that. But I want us to focus on one thing for this study. I want us to look at a command that Paul gives us: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”.

Before we start looking at the next few verses, or trying to think of things we can do to make this happen, we need to look at what affects our attitude. Obviously there are a number of things that make us feel a certain way and have a particular attitude. Some simple examples are: the weather, people around us, our family upbringing, and our thoughts. If you think about these or other examples you can come to the conclusion that some of the factors cannot be changed by us, but others we can do something about. For example, I can’t change the weather, but I can choose the friends I spend time with. I can’t change who my parents are, but I can choose what I fill my mind with. So to conclude, our attitude is directly affected by the decisions we make in our everyday life. Take a moment to think about some things that you can easily change in your life to help you have a more Christ like attitude right now.

These things are all great ways to take steps toward bettering our attitude; steps towards having the same attitude as Christ. Every day we need to strive to make good choices that will lead us to a more Christ like attitude – one that serves others and is less selfish. We need to do everything we can to push forward and train ourselves to seek perfection.

But although these small steps and small actions can help a little, we still need to face the hard reality of truth . . . you can’t do it. No matter what you change, no matter how many good friends you have, no matter how hard you try, you will never have the same attitude that Christ had. You can’t do it. You were born with a very selfish nature, and as much as you’d like to think you can be selfless and change the world, you can’t. So if you haven’t already, I need you to read a little further in Philippians 2 and look at verses 12 and 13. “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Here Paul tells us that we need to continue to seek out the Lord. But he also gives us comfort by telling us that God works in us to produce results. It’s hard to think that we are unable, but it is amazing to remember that He is doing all the hard work for us.
Therefore 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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.


--Seth Gordon, Recreation Director