Philippans 2

Chapter 2 today!  All of you are familiar with verses 5-11. I encourage you to look at those verses in context of the first 4 verses today. I hadn't ever realized that verses 5-11 really tied in with the first few verses, but they do! So, look at that. It's pretty cool!
Philippians 2:3-11 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." I love this passage. It shows me that I need to have the right motives when I do things, that I need to be humble, and that I need to put others before me. Why? Because that's the mind of Christ! Christ came to earth, put on man's skin, and was humble and served others. He washed people's feet! How gross is that? Seriously! And He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross! The cross guys! Do you realize the significance of this? The most horrible, wretched, most painful, way to die. Christ did that. For us! But, He didn't do it so that we could go around living selfishly and in sin. He did it so that He might be glorified through us. We glorify Him by looking out for the interests of others and esteeming others better than ourselves. And that doesn't just mean care about people that you like. That means care and love people who are mean to you, who are annoying, who are conceited, who hate Christ and the gospel, and who just bug you in general. That's what it means! Do you do that? I know I don't. I much prefer to be around people who like me and are nice to me and don't bug me. But, that's not how I was called to live. That's not living selflessly.
Philippians 2:13-15 "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."
Do you realize that God is working in you? How cool is that? Super cool! He's working in us for His good pleasure! God is taking me, a sinful, selfish person, and He's working in me, and He takes pleasure in it! That just makes me smile really big. How does He work in us? He teaches us to do things without complaining and disputing. He makes us blameless and harmless, lights in the world. That seems to imply that when you are disputing and complaining, you're to be blamed, you're harmful, and you're not a light in the world. Instead you have become a part of that perverse and crooked generation that He has called us to be a light to. Scary, huh? Does that motivate you to live the way these verses call you to live?
My mom tells me I have the tendency to lecture. Not trying to lecture you guys! I'm writing my thoughts as they occur to me while I'm reading, and all these things are pointed right at me. I'm to be blamed, I'm harmful, and I'm not a light in the world when I dispute and complain. Which is most of the time. I'm not being like-minded as Jesus when I'm conceited and put myself before others. But, I want to be blameless, harmless, a light in the world, and like Jesus putting others before myself. So, these verses inspire me to do that! :)