Scripture Reading(s)
Philippians 2:5-11
2:5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
2:6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
2:8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death– even death on a cross.
2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
2:11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Reflections
Our minds and hearts should always be fixed on Christ and who He is. This passage gives us a fresh perspective on how to view and pursue Christ in this new year. Christ went above and beyond any human could have gone to show His love for us. His love that was displayed on the cross gives us the hope and joy that we have to face this new year.
Many may have had difficulties this past year and many may be still carrying some weight along with them. Remember that God established Himself to be the Lord of all that goes in this world, including the details of our lives. We should constantly be pursuing the Lord to worship and glorifying with our lives.
Putting your faith in Christ is the foundation that will never be moved or broken. One day there will come a time in which the entire world recognizes who Christ is. Keep on pushing Christ in your everyday life and proclaiming His name and truth in all that you do.
The 5th verse of this passage is actually trimmed in the Revised Common Lectionary. What it says in full is:
In your relationships with other, let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
And then Paul goes onto describe the Lord’s mindset. He loved others so much that He went to the cross for them. Jesus also said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for another. While we do not expect others to lay down their lives for us or us for them, if we treated others the way Jesus did then we would have wars or crime or poverty. But if we want the world to have love for one another it has to start with us. We cannot worry about other people’e behavior, only our own.
This new year, resolve to love everyone as Jesus loved us. Change the world one relationship at a time.