Choose to be a Nobody

Yesterday morning, I sat down for my morning devotions. I was at a loss for where to go in Scripture, and what exactly to study. My brother is in New York at the Word of Life Ranch right now, and this summer they are studying the book of Philippians. Jonathan and I enjoy challenging conversation with each other, so I decided I would brush up on Philippians and read it through myself. I had to memorize a large portion of it 6 summers ago when I first worked at the Ranch, but isn't it neat how God's Word doesn't get old? The one verse that was our theme verse for that summer hit me during devotions and challenged a very huge problem in my life: my pride.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 2:5

This was one of the first verses I remember ever memorizing. We would sing it to the tune of "Give me oil in my lamp." I have quoted it countless times and it is the 'Scriptural Basis' for WWJD.

We are missing the rest of the sentence. See, Scripture verse numberings are manmade, and whoever did them would break up sentences. Granted, some of the writers, especially Paul, would write a sentence long enough to kill your high school English teacher. His sentences are often verse upon verse upon verse long. The grammatical rule still stays the same though. One sentence = one thought. So let's look at the rest of the sentence.

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: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross

I think sometimes we interpret "Let this mind be in you" to mean "Have a Christlike attitude." What does that look like? The verses afterward tell us. The mind of Christ is a mind that makes us into nobodys. Christ was God, so if anybody had the right to tell people what was up, He did. He had every right to come down here and knock sense into people. He had every right to walk around declaring Himself to be God and demand to be treated as such. It wouldn't have been wrong. He could have. He didn't. Instead, He did the complete opposite. He made Himself into a nobody. It says it right there, "made himself of no reputation." Here is God in the flesh, the whole world literally at His fingertips and He chooses...CHOOSES...to be of no reputation. He CHOOSES to be a servant, to humble himself and die on our cross.

How does this translate to us?

You know, all that you think you are...all the 'game' you think you have means nothing. To have the mind of Christ is to choose to be a nobody. Besides, your life isn't about you anyway. To have the mind of Christ is to humble yourself and do that which is beneath you, because nothing is beneath you.

It ties right in with Proverbs 27:2

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

In other words, quit telling the world you are all that. If you are all that, someone else will be sure to tell the world for you.

Personal application for me: No service, no ministry is below me if I truly have the mind of Christ.