Remind yourself of how verses 1-4 ended with a charge from Paul to the Philippians to always value others above themselves, being rooted in humility. That word right there seems to be the hot topic this week: Humility!

Let us try to wrap our own futile, mortal minds around how truly humble the life of Jesus was. Think about the divinity of Jesus, and how He was present and active at the beginning of Genesis. Think about how He entered into that same world, knowing all too well how broken and dismantled it was; what He chose to leave, what He chose to endure, what cup He chose to drink on that despicably-magnificent weekend He was betrayed.

And now think about the ‘why’ behind His choices. Was it because He chose to always value others above Himself, being rooted in humility? In knowing the character of Jesus, I’m led to believe that...and praise King Jesus that He chose not to hold tightly to His equality to the Father, but rather to bring Him the glory.

In this passage though, Paul claims that we--being united with Christ through faith, trust, and belief in His death and resurrection--have access to the same mind as Christ. How do we get to this point of humility?

Simply answered: run to Jesus. Run to the red-lettering in the Gospels that show us His heart so deeply rooted in love, His compassion driven eyes, His feet that avoided His own schedule to meet the needs of others, and His hands that followed. Continuously run to that, praying earnestly for an inward transformation that brings an outward representation--all so that we might bring glory to the Father, and not ourselves.

Biblical-based humility is the root of the Christ-follower. Why? Because it causes us to run to Jesus for the strength that we accept we lack. And Jesus lived a life that was strictly reliant on the Father for the strength to do God’s will. What a beautiful cycle of glorifying the Father we will be stuck in when we choose humility!

It says in John 15.8, “it is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” As disciples, we must be rooted in Jesus, who is humbly rooted in the Father. And by a simple glance at Jesus’ life, we see that humility brings great obedience. While Christ is our example, He is always more than just an example. Let us actively choose the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2.5-6

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ Do I really know what Christ’s humility looks like?

+ Pair today’s passage of Scripture up with Hebrews 2.9-18.

+ Is it a choice or ingrained in my nature to have the same mind as Christ? How often do I have to choose this humbled, selfless way of life?

+ What did Christ do with His two natures, being fully-man and also fully-God? What words would I use to describe Jesus’ whole life?

+ Is that word “grasped” in verse 6 talking about “reaching for” that equality, or is it talking about “holding on to” that equality? Which is more selfless?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ How can I get to know Jesus’ humility more?

+ Why does humility matter to me right now?

+ What relationships do I have where my pride is holding me back from loving like Christ?

+ What might a day of emphasizing humility look like today? This week? This month?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Does this person think of ‘humility’ when they think of Jesus? How can I help them begin to see that?