I love the movies. I can usually figure things out inside of 15 minutes into the movie. The first movie that really ever “got me” was the 1999 movie, “The Sixth Sense”. In the last moments of the movie, it was revealed one of the main characters had been dead the whole movie. Mind blown! I had no idea. It changed my perspective.
Jesus calls us to change our perspective in how we live…how we see things. He gives us an upside-down perspective compared to what the world offers. It’s never more evident than in Philippians 2 where Paul calls us to be of one mind and purpose.
See, how you think determines what you become. Paul wants us to the have mind of Christ. We can discover how Jesus lived by looking at the Gospel accounts of his life. Jesus was always caring. He had consistent joy in his life. He was obedient to what the Father had called him to do. He was patient with all those around him. He was compassionate to those society had deemed, “Not worthy.”
So, if you think like Jesus thought, you’ll live like Jesus lived. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2 that Jesus was a humble person. He left everything he was entitled to have to come to earth. Jesus shows us that God desires self-abandonment, not self-promotion. In deed, Jesus says in Mark 8:35, “Whoever loses their life for me will actually find it…”
Paul introduces himself as a “slave” to Jesus in the opening line of Philippians. Paul goes on to show Jesus was a servant or slave for us. So we, as followers of Jesus, imitate him by realizing we too are slaves and servants. See, serving is not what I do. A servant his who I am.
So the call today, reflecting on Jesus in Philippians 2, is to change your perspective. No matter what is going on in your life, you are Jesus’ person, created in his image, reflecting him in the world around you. Be transformed. Humble yourself. Discover and live out the Spirit of Jesus living in you. Blessings on your journey.