Day Five/Six Philippians 2:4

Unity through humility

Now, since you are modeling your unity after Jesus’ love for you and in the power he has bestowed upon you, each and everyone one of you should not pay careful attention to your own lives, interests, or even take notice of what you think you need. All of your thoughts, actions and attention should be completely on others without even a hint of regarding yourself! Philippians 2:4

Paul concludes this section by underscoring the fact that the only way to obtain the unity Jesus prayed for His disciples to receive (John 17), was through a chain of humility, which brings unification.

They needed to first place themselves under the lordship of Jesus. This is what humility means. Being allowed to do so is a gift as it takes a regenerated heart to love God. Since Jesus was fully humble to the Father’s will, we are then vicariously as well through him. Only when this occurs can humans who by sin-nature are self-serving and inward focused turn to live lives completely focused on interests other than their own. This does not mean we are incapable of “sliding out” from under His will, but rather that we are able to love and do these things at all.

How can we let go of our control of trying to meet our needs? Trust.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matthew 6:25 ff.

Are we called to lives of abject poverty? Some are, most aren’t. Look at your lives; check book, furnishings, vacations, leisure time, what you do at church, even food. Are you taking care of yourself or others? Be as honest as you can and compare your life to Christ and to the saints. Feel convicted? Welcome to Lent…ask for forgiveness and the power to change and it will be given.