Philippian 2:5-7a…“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” vs. 5
Sometimes we think of ourselves as being different from Jesus, as though he behaved and acted as he did because he had a special relationship with God, one that we do not have. Often we hear people excusing their own broken behaviors with the words, “Well, only one man was perfect and that was Jesus!”
While Paul doesn’t weigh in on that issue in his letter to the Philippians, he seems to indicate here that Jesus is the perfect model for them all. In fact, he encourages the people in that little congregation to have the same mind in themselves that was present in Christ Jesus. And this is no impossible mission! We can see the world as Jesus did! We can love as he did! We can sacrifice as he did! It’s time for us to stop thinking that the Jesus life is somehow beyond us. We too contain the divine DNA—we’ve been born in the image of God. And his mission is our mission!
It’s time that we stop using our humanity as an excuse for poor behavior. We don’t sin because we’re human–we sin because we make bad choices! Our humanity has nothing to do with it. Millions of people have figured out how to live as Jesus lived. They have the mind of Christ, and they live all around us- certainly they’re a part of our faith communities. And because of them, our lives have been blessed!
Thought for the Day: How can I have the same mind that was in Christ?
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