Let This Mind Be In You
In one of Paul’s “Prison Letters” in Philippians 2, Paul was writing from prison to the church in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia (modern-day northern Greece). This church had supported him financially and spiritually in his ministry, and so, they were dear to him(Philippians 4:15-16). He wrote them to thank them for their support, to encourage them and to warn them against division and selfishness within the church. In Philippians 2:5-9,NKJV, Paul wrote:
5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The first question you may ask from these verses is, “What exactly is the mind of Christ?”. Although verses 6-8 explains what it is, we need a bit of context from the preceding verses.
3Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4, NKJV
It appears Paul was addressing the problem of division and rivalry in the Philippian church. He advised them to do nothing out of self-centeredness, and that each of them should not only be interested in what benefits them individually, but also in what benefits them as a church. Paul was essentially speaking to their mindset; their way of thinking. The Greek word for “mind” (phronein) is: a way of thinking, a mindset, an attitude. It is not just a passing thought; it is a character.
To give you a better understanding of what Paul was dealing with here, Philippi was a Roman colony with a culture that celebrated status, power and honour. Many Philippians were Roman citizens who took pride in their social status. Unfortunately, that mindset seeped into their interactions, decisions and relationships in the church. It is no different than today, where some churches have adopted and run on the cultures of men as opposed to the culture of the gospel. I must admit that a mindset or way of thinking is difficult to change, but it is possible through Jesus Christ, as Paul was trying to show them.
Paul wasn’t just correcting behaviour; he was shaping their worldview. He wanted them to stop seeing life through the Roman lens of status. He wanted them to start seeing life through Christ’s lens of humility, service and obedience. In Roman society in those days, humility was seen as weakness. Even in today’s society, we embrace humility and love it as a concept, but in practice, we sometimes see it as a sign of weakness or a lack of authority. Humility, Service and Obedience are the mind of Christ, and we see His actions demonstrating all these core elements.
How often, when life hits hard, are some of us quick to parade our ‘kingdom résumé’ before God, as if our service exempts us from suffering?
Humility: Jesus shared in the nature, power and divinity of God, yet He did not cling to His divine privileges or exploit His equality to God for personal gain. He laid aside His divine privileges and chose to live humbly with the limitations and suffering that come with being a human.
Service: He took the form of a servant, serving the needs of others and putting others first. He was fully man, living with hunger, pain, sadness, temptation and other realities of human life, yet He chose to put others first.
Obedience: Jesus identified with us and our struggles and showed us what true humility looks like. He showed us that humility also means submitting to the will of God, even if it means it will end in the most painful and shameful kind of death. It is radical obedience.
A few days ago, I listened to an Instagram reel where Nabeel Qureshi of blessed memory, while battling terminal cancer, spoke about his faith and strength in Jesus Christ. Hear him in his own words:
“... I’ve got stage 4 stomach cancer, a non-curable, non-treatable illness. How do I get through this? How do I not point my finger at God and say, God, I’m preaching your word, I’m a minister of the gospel, I’m trying to live my life to please you, and you hit me with stomach cancer? How do I not do that? Because I remember the crucifixion of Jesus. And I remember that there’s no suffering that I can go through that’s greater than what my God went through for me. A million times over, I would take this stomach cancer than have to be crucified…”
That statement sent chills down my spine. What a profound statement of humility, service and radical obedience! How often, when life hits hard, are some of us quick to parade our ‘kingdom résumé’ before God, as if our service exempts us from suffering? Yet here was a globally acclaimed, renowned gospel apologist, enduring the weight of terminal cancer, but still chose humility, resting in the one who suffered far more for us. This is the kind of humility Jesus taught us, which Paul was trying to show the church in Philippi. A humility that follows God to the end and not being fixated on our wants, desires and needs.
Paul’s message was counter-cultural both then and now. Paul’s message that they adopt the mind of Christ meant that they must choose humility over status, servanthood over self-interest and radical obedience to God over personal comfort.
So, what mindset do you have?
The mind of Christ is a template for how we can set aside our pride, see beyond our needs, and live in service to God and to others (even if it costs us). It reminds us that whatever we suffer can’t be compared to what Jesus willingly suffered on the cross for our sins. To “let this mind be in you” is not just an instruction or advice; it is a plea to live like Jesus, to think like Him, and to serve like Him. When we choose to adopt the mind of Christ in our everyday life, we do not simply reflect Christ, but find true purpose in Him. Amen.
