Becoming More Like Christ
By Carolyn Dale Newell
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 2:5 NKJV
The desire of every Christian should be to become more like Christ. Is that realistic? Jesus was perfect and without sin. How can we pattern our lives after Christ while still living on earth?
We can have the mindset of Jesus. Yes, with the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we can achieve it. Christ thought of others before He thought of Himself. He put us first. That is what Paul explains in Philippians chapter two.
Beginning with verse one, Paul tells believers we have been encouraged by the Lord. In the Greek, the “consolation of His love” refers to Jesus coming close and whispering hope to us.
Then Paul speaks of our fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit dwells in all believers. Therefore, there should be unity.
When churches become fractured, it quenches and grieves the Spirit. Cliques only serve to weaken a church.
Paul continues in verse 2:
fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
This is our to-do list that will transform us from self-centered to other-centered and unite the body of Christ.
Like minded is equivalent to right thinking and having the same mind. The same love refers to loving others equally, not preferring some above others and especially not putting ourselves before them either. One accord denotes selflessness. One mind is intent on the same thing.
Next, Paul tells us about our wrong attitudes, the ones we need to put to death.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Phil. 2:3)
Self is at the center of every sin. Paul is referring to seeking to serve self and self-glorification.
Our focal verse is a command, but it is an action we must choose. The Holy Spirit convicted me as I studied this chapter. I am seeking God’s guidance as I choose to have a servant’s mentality.
I challenge you to do likewise. You can take a giant step in becoming more Christlike when you humbly decide to think of someone else before yourself. What would our churches be like if we were all concerned about others more? When we take care of others, God takes care of us. If we all sought the good of another person, we would embrace the joy Paul wrote about. How would our communities’ benefit if all Christians sought to meet the needs of someone else?
It begins with one person. We cannot make decisions for anyone else, but I encourage you to join me and one-by-one we will make a difference.
Lord Jesus, we long to be more like You. Remove our selfishness and replace it with selflessness. Give us opportunities to meet the needs of someone else. In Jesus’ name, Amen
DIG DEEPER
Read Philippians 2:1-11.
HIKING THE TRAIL
What is one thing you can do today to put the needs of another before yourself?
Copyright 2019 Carolyn Dale Newell.
Originally posted on July 23, 2020 @ 7:58 pm