The Mind You Need

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. (Philippians 2:5-7)

Paul began this passage by addressing the mind: “Let this mind be in you.” Before anything else, he focused on how you think. Paul understood something that took psychologists hundreds of years to figure out. What you consistently do flows from how you consistently think. The mind Paul wrote about was not a deep-thinking or well-rounded mind, but rather allowing the mind of Christ to be in you. He then explained what that looks like by saying that Jesus did not cling to His position or leverage His rank as God to make other people follow Him. Instead, He made “himself of no reputation.”

The Greek word there is kenoo, meaning He emptied himself completely and fully, voluntarily. No one ever took the life of Jesus away from Him. He laid it down on purpose and took on the form of a servant.

Think about what that means. Jesus, who was a part of creating all we see; Jesus, who is the One in whom all things in Heaven and earth consist; the One who eventually every knee will bow and tongue will confess is Lord; decided to wrap Himself in human flesh and take on the lowest place in culture, that of a servant. After establishing that idea, Paul said, "Let that same mind be in you.” That means that this type of thinking needs to govern how we see ourselves and the assignments that God gives us.

The mind of Christ is a mind of humility and calling, as Jesus humbled Himself and God highly exalted Him. God wants to use you in great ways, and He will when we think the way Jesus thinks.

Practical Application

Ask the Holy Ghost to show you one relationship or situation where you are carrying more pride than you may realize. Then make a specific, practical decision to take the lower place in that area—not to be a doormat, but to follow the pattern that Jesus sets.

Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 5:6