A week of growing in Adaptability and Mutual Submission

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Philippians 2:3

Quite frankly it is easy to think too highly of oneself. And for most people and myself included think that the people who think too highly of themselves are the more vocal outgoing ones. We normally don’t think of the quite, shy ones. And I personally do not know why I don’t categorize the shy ones into being able to be a part of this group when I am one of the shy ones and I know what I think.

Last week was one of the harder weeks that I have had here. And it was because I was think too highly of myself. Now let me clear up what I mean by I was thinking to highly of myself. I was thinking too much about me. I was my own focus, I consumed my own mind. I wasn’t even technically thinking wonderful thoughts about myself, actually I was really being pretty hard on myself.

And because I had a woe is me attitude and thinking about myself so much, I missed out on being able to minister to my fellow teammates. And not only that but I also was not focusing on My Savior. SO how in the world was I supposed to be ministering to other people when first things where not going first. I had turned J.O.Y into Y.O.J. And Y.O.J. does not sound enjoyable at all.

I need my focus to be first and foremost needs to be on Christ and when I have a a proper view of God I have a proper view of myself. Not that I would be sitting around (like last week) and thinking I am the orst person in the world. But on the other hand I don’t think that I have a lot to offer by myself. It is Christ Esteem not Self Esteem. 

So when I look at Christ and know his goodness it should cause not only for me to look at myself in the right perspective but that I would want to serve others. I need to not think of myself and my problems. My problems can worry about themselves. I need to be coming along side of these wonderful and special people that God has given to me and help bear there burdens. Because quite frankly, Jesus saw them and he said that they were worth it and died on a cross for them because he loved them. Can I not esteem them more than myself?

Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.”

Also. This word I simply cannot seem to get out of my head. I know that I am not supposed to focus too much on just one word but I think that this is an interesting word to put in the middle of the verse. It could have put any other word in its place but any other word is not in its place. I am not going to be so bold to say that I know exactly why this word is put there but it means something quite unique to me.

You see I am not to completely neglect what the Lord has specifically told me to do but I am not to ignore the needs of others because I have my specific ministry that I am a part of.  I know that God has specifically called me to the IGNITE program and that I am to dedicate this year of my life to the Lord. But that does not mean that I cannot help in the children’s ministry while I am here. If the need is there and I have the ability to help, why would I not?

I know that this not the normal place to go with this verse but I could not help it. You see sometimes people just don’t want to say no, so they are constantly going and it gets to the point that their own personal ministry that the Lord has called them to gets seriously neglected. But on the other hand we are not to only look out for our own ministry to the point that if somebody needs help we refuse because it is not in your department. If I see a fellow brother or sister that just needs help, why would I not jump at the opportunity to serve them?

“Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” Philippians 2:5-6

Ok this is a pretty intense verse. Jesus fully God came down to earth and did use His deity while here was here on earth. I remember the first time that I fully realized this. I was here at the IGNITE program and Pastor Don McClure was here teaching through the book of Philippians. And when he came to the passage and started talking about this portion of scripture, all I could do is sit there and be amazed.

How could He do this? I know that if I had unlimited power, I would not lay it down. But He did this to show us how to walk by the Spirit and so when it comes to the verse in Hebrews 4:14-16. It can honestly say that He was tempted as we are but without sin. And he did this all out of love. Love for you and for me! Isn’t that crazy?

I know that I do not have pretty much no power. But I know that there are certain things that I feel talented at whether it be ministry related or sports related. And whatever that specific thing is for me, do I use that to Lord over other people? Because I am good at a specific thing do I automatically think that I have the right to tell other people what to do or how to do it? Well as this verse says, I need to put on the mind of Christ and humble myself, even when I have “rights”.

“But made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:7

This is kind of going to blend into my previous Inductive Bible Study. I am trying to not look ahead so I honestly had no idea that I was blending these two verses together. But I guess you can never have enough when it comes to learning from Jesus.

It is just crazy in my mind that the God of the universe, who created everything would come down to His creation and took the lowest position. I know that I am not the only one who thinks that this does not fit because the Wise men when looking for the Messiah went to the Palace first. You would think that the God of heaven and earth would come down to earth and at least be born in a comfortable place. But no! My God came down and from the beginning took the lowest position. And he chose this position! A bondservant chooses to be a servant. They choose to give up their rights and they choose to be lowly for the rest of their lives.

And I, merely dust think I deserve the attention. I am just going to end with that because I honestly just need to think about this fact.

Philippians 2:8, “And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Ok, these verses that were given to us are just plain unfair. They are so deep with meaning and I am so unworthy to even begin to write about it. But here I am being asked to Inductively Study it.

The God of the universe, who created heaven and earth came down to earth as a man. And humbled himself even further and obeyed His Father in heaven and died an excruciating death of a criminal. He obeyed His Father to the death of the cross. He knew that His Father’s plan would turn for the good of all and that this was the ultimate way to show His love for us.

Do I obey the Lord knowing that whatever He asks me is for good? No matter what it is? I must be honest I do not. I doubt His goodness when he asks me to do relatively easy things because I do not know how He can possibly turn it into something good. But look what my God was able to do with the most horrible of situations. He was able to take the death of the cross and bless the whole world. Can I not obey Him?