{Today’s post is a guest post from Kelly!}
Paul was not a teacher that candy-coated the truth. He spoke truth for what it is. He wasn’t trying to win your heart or get you to like him, he was trying to point you to Jesus:
“Be like-minded. Look out for others’ interests.”
“Respect others; regard them better than you.”
“Be obedient, even die.”
“Every person glorify the Father.”
An “others-focused” theme is present here, because that is God’s heart. In other words, I’m going to turn my attention from me to you. In Philippians 2:2 and 2:5 the word mind is the Greek phroneō which means to have understanding, be wise, to feel and to think. So when I’m responding to you, then I need to apply wisdom in my response. When I think the word YOU, I’m going to think Yielded to Others with Understanding.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5 NKJV
What God desires us to do, He did first as the example for us. Jesus became obedient to the point of death. So should we, because it’s not about us. It’s about others. When this humble obedience is brought forth in us, God is glorified and His name is exalted.
“Christianity summed up in one word would be “servant.” Paul would say “slave.” ~ Nelson Searcy
As Christians, we do not think, respond, or feel the way we want, but the way God wants because we are His. We are to die to self and be yielded to others with understanding. God’s heart is unity. It’s much easier to walk in one accord if we live our lives with the attitude of esteeming others better than we are. It’s much easier to avoid strife if we are responding to others with a humble heart. It’s also sometimes easier said than done.
3 Areas to be Yielded to Others with Understanding:
*Interests
We naturally look out for our own interests, but if we are looking out for others’ interests we are going to receive the comfort and fellowship of the Spirit. Showing them this kind of love doesn’t mean we are being nosy, but that our response is with sympathy. A mindset of being considerate in regard to the people we live and work with should be ours.
“Daddy’s sick, so we’re going to be quiet and then bring him breakfast in bed.”
“Jane and I both like coffee at work. There’s one cup left; it’s hers.”
*Opinions
Being like-minded doesn’t mean we change our views to cater to a differing opinion, but that our opinions should line up with scripture. We can’t choose only the portions of the Bible that we like because we belong to God. If all our opinions line up with scripture, then unity will be much easier to attain.
*Beliefs
The area of what we believe is one that needs a true balance of a biblical mindset. When we talk to others we need to be careful that we aren’t unfeeling.
In light of being yielded to others with understanding, consider the following questions:
- How are you to respond when you encounter someone who doesn’t agree with you?
- How can you be in unity with someone when their beliefs don’t agree with yours?
Kelly married her high school sweetheart and homeschools her two boys.
She writes at kellysinging.com to help others walk the road of bearing good fruit.
{Katie here: Thanks to Kelly for sharing her heart with us! Now, what about you? What did YOU learn this week in your study of Philippians? I have been enjoying the discussion each week, and I look forward to your thoughts this week!}
Great job Kelly! Its so true, when christians think about witnessing, we sometimes think ok im in the right place and I need to get you where I am. That not only puts christians in a bad light, but its not exactly yielding to others or sharing the good news in a sensitive way. Love your posts! Jean
You’re right about it putting Christians in a bad light. When I was a teenager I met a couple of girls for the first time and almost immediately told them they were going to hell. Yeah. That didn’t go over well!
This morning, when I read this post, I thought this is good. I thought of something my husband as ingrained to our family: LUST desires to get at the expense of others and LOVE desires to give at the expense of oneself. Then I went to the Bible study that I am currently doing. The passages for my study this morning were Matthew 5:44-48 and Luke 6:27-38. Wow, talk about a God-incidence! These passages are all about loving your neighbor as yourself, as Christ commanded us! It’s all about YOU! The following verse stood out to me in a totally different light. Luke 6:38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. http://bible.us/Luke6.38.KJV
This passage is commonly used for offerings, however, today, as I was reading, I realized it is part of a greater message. Jesus is teaching His disciples to love their enemies. When we give of ourselves to others, we receive the above promise! Thanks for the post! It was perfect for today!
“..give at the expense of self.” Thanks for sharing that! I love how there are so many different truths to pull from the scriptures.
A great post, Kelly. I love what you said here:
“If all our opinions line up with scripture, then unity will be much easier to attain.”
To be more of “one mind” with the body I worship with, we need to keep reading from the same page. And when we still come to different opinions, we need to yield with understanding and work together by keeping Jesus at the very center.
My “to-do” list from Phi 2:1-11 (with the grace of God) is this:
1. Stop looking at the negative things I don’t like about my church and focus on the bull’s eye instead (Jesus).
2. Quit thinking so much about myself and do more for others.
3. Remember that I’m a slave.
4. Bow in worship to Jesus NOW and praise him as Master so that God will be honored.
Love the “to-do” list you have here! Totally writing that down in my journal! It seems that strife among Christians sometimes comes from the procedures of how to run the church. Like you said, when we come to different opinions, we go back to keeping Jesus at the center. Thanks, Lisa.
Others the whole reason we are here:) lovely post.
Responding to others who don’t agree with me has been a long road of discovery. My default reaction is to personalize our differences-to think, “Oh, they don’t care about me, because if they did, they would agree with me.” It’s highly irrational and very junior high of me.
Blogging and meeting others that love Christ, but don’t always agree with me, has been an exercise in living outside of myself, in seeking to understand rather than to be understood. It’s cliche, but I think in sharing Christ with others, “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” If I am in true relationship with others, putting them above me, our differences won’t be the focus-the love of Christ will.
Thank you for your transparency, Keri.
I haven’t been discussing my thoughts on reading Philippians, but there was a verse that stuck out at me this week:
the tail end of Phil. 2:3, “….consider others as better than yourselves.” My first thought was to being this at home–with my husband and children. I need to think of them as better than myself because it helps strip away pride and teaches to serve.
I love the quote up there by Nelson Searcy — so true…we are bondservants aka slaves. And if we aren’t slaves to Christ, we’re slaves to something else {money, television, shopping, internet, beauty–pick your poison}.
Living Devotionally. I love the name of Katie’s blog because that’s what it’s about. Living a devoted life to God.
Thanks so much, Kelly! Nice to *meet* you. ;-)
Thanks for sharing your heart on this, Christin. Humbleness will definitely be worked in us when we consider others as better than yourselves. This particular phrase stuck with me, too, and I am meditating on it and asking God to show me where else I need to apply it.
Romans chapter 6 came to mind when you were talking about how we are a slave to something. Thanks so much! Love your heart. :)
So many great insights… Thanks Kelly! I love reading through everyone’s comments.
As Christians we are to have the right motive, be humble, and be others-focused but it is not easy because that is not what comes natural to us as human beings. We are prone to be self-seeking, to have a “what’s-in-it-for-me” attitude.
I have been trying to regularly ask myself these three questions:
Why am I doing this?
Who am I promoting: myself or God?
How can I bring joy to (name of another person)?
I’ve shared more of my insights from this week here http://hideandseekadventures.blogspot.com/2011/06/putting-down-mirror.html
I am really enjoying this study with all of you!
These are great questions, Rusheika! Others-focused.
I am continually struck my my incredible selfishness. I feel like there is this constant stream of “leave me alone” going off in my head. I don’t like to be interrupted. I don’t like serving others.
I love how Paul gives us the command “count others more significant” then immediately brings it to the real point “have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.” This is the real command. Be more like Jesus.
He also then immediately gives us a great promise “which is yours in Christ Jesus.” We already have the mind and obedience of Christ! He was the one who “made himself nothing” and “humbled himself by becoming obedient”. I am not humble. I am not obedient. I do not count others more significant than myself. But Jesus did, and is these things in me.
Thankful for grace, and for the example of Christ!