"Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain
equal with God.Instead he gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”
Much of my younger years I though mostly of my self and
acted accordingly. This unfortunately is almost basic to human nature.
"Me first. Don't I deserve something. Sure I want to help
others when I have more time and money," are common expressions many
people have. However, these kinds of thoughts come from a selfish
nature. When we receive Jesus Christ into our heart everything
should and will change. "Do
not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)
Our minds will be conformed to the mind of Christ's, and everything else
should change as well. Through Christ's eyes we will also see to the real
needs and depravity of others, and our
thoughts and actions will change accordingly.
Learning from the Master's Example
When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.“You call me‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:12-18)
