Philippians 2:5 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus." What mind is Paul talking about?
Jesus was with God in the beginning and through Him all things were made (John 1:1-3). Yet, Jesus chose to be born as a baby in a manger. Though He was King, He humbled Himself and even died a sinner's death on our behalf.
Matthew 16:24, "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." What does it mean to take up one's cross? It means being willing to die for God. That sounds hard enough, but living for God with this attitude can be even more difficult. It means having the same mind and attitude as Jesus when hard times come our way. He kept His mouth closed when He was berated. Do we do that? He willingly went through torture and suffering. What about you? The good news is that death was not the end.
Philippians 2:9, "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name."
The same pattern applies for us. Like a J, life as a Christian has moments of dying to ourselves before we rise again. While things may get worse for a time, resurrection is coming. That's where we find as in Romans 8:28, "For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Jesus was with God in the beginning and through Him all things were made (John 1:1-3). Yet, Jesus chose to be born as a baby in a manger. Though He was King, He humbled Himself and even died a sinner's death on our behalf.
Matthew 16:24, "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." What does it mean to take up one's cross? It means being willing to die for God. That sounds hard enough, but living for God with this attitude can be even more difficult. It means having the same mind and attitude as Jesus when hard times come our way. He kept His mouth closed when He was berated. Do we do that? He willingly went through torture and suffering. What about you? The good news is that death was not the end.
Philippians 2:9, "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name."
The same pattern applies for us. Like a J, life as a Christian has moments of dying to ourselves before we rise again. While things may get worse for a time, resurrection is coming. That's where we find as in Romans 8:28, "For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Posted in Weekly Reflections