“Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself.”

— Philippians 2:3

When Paul wrote the church in the Roman outpost of Philippi (in modern day Turkey), he had many positive things he commended them for. But Paul realized that the only flaw that he saw in the Philippian church was a tendency to divisiveness, a tendency which ultimately was going to be destructive to that church. But he did his best to point out to them the danger, the rocks that lay submerged in the path of the ecclesiastical ship at Philippi.

In order for them to be of one mind and one accord they had to acquire humility. He wrote to them, “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:4-5).

Jesus humbled Himself by becoming a man. The Second Person of the Trinity took on human flesh. So He was fully God and fully man. Then He humbled Himself in complete obedience, living a perfect life. Finally, He humbled Himself by dying on the cross. This was a degrading form of execution reserved only for slaves and non-Roman citizens. But God raised Him from the dead and vindicated Him completely. One day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

Humility comes before honor. Christ has shown us the way.

Lord, You who humbled Yourself so completely and received the name above all names, help me to have a true picture of You and, thus, a true picture of myself, resulting in humility…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND BY HIS LIGHT,
WE CAN SEE OURSELVES CLEARLY.