let this mind be in you

So I've been reading Philippians a lot lately as I have been taking this class on the prison epistles and attempting to memorize Philippians. And the verse that have really just kind of been stuck in my mind are 2:3-10 where Paul says:

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"

Man if we would just embrace these verses and live these verses out and have "this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" can you imagine how much different our families would look? Can you imagine how different our churches would look? I am convinced that if we are truly want to have an impact on the world, if we truly want to be salt and light in this world of darkness, if we truly want the world to ask us about the hope that we have within us, we need to embrace these verses.

Think about it, if we truly esteemed others better than ourselves and we not only looked onto our own things but on the things of others. When would we ever gossip? When would we ever fight with someone? When would we ever be stingy of our money? When would we ever be selfish?

Jesus humbled himself by laying down his crown and his place in heaven seated next to the Father and became a man, suffering as we do, being tempted as we are and even humbled himself so much that he became obedient to death on a cross. He had every right to call down the angels of heaven to take him off of that cross but He put aside His power and died in the extreme example for us all of humility. Jesus, the Son of God with all the power and majesty and deity. The one by whom all things were made came not to be served which was definitely His rightful position, but the Bible says he came to serve. Why? To be an example for us all.

This seems so straight forward and obvious but how many of us live like this? We are all selfish for our time. We are all looking out for our own interests at the expense of others. But man, this is exactly what the world would be impressed by. This is exactly the type of radical lifestyle in which we will truly be lights in this dark world so that the world will "see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16)