A Selfless Attitude

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

—Philippians 2:5 (NLT)

         In Philippians 2:1-11 Paul writes about the selfless attitude of Jesus Christ. Though he had every right to think highly of himself—though He was sinless and could have placed His power to live above our need for salvation, Jesus humbled himself and following the will of His Father, gave His life for you and me. Choosing to humble himself—thinking less of himself and more of us —He chose us. 

         In verse 5 we are reminded that we, also, are to have this same attitude. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive His finished work. We receive the mind of Christ, but our beliefs don't change until we allow the soul to be transformed and renewed by His grace. In our born-again spirit resides the life-changing power of the cross. By continually surrendering to His grace—just as He yielded His life for our sin—we are transformed by this power until our needs begin to change. Life is not about us. It is about His heart for broken lives. As we choose to love without expectation, to share without recognition, to give without return, we grow to understand what He has unselfishly given us—His goodness—His mercy—His love which has no limit. When we understand this truth, we are unburdened by our needs and are free to love unconditionally. We have no agenda or need to be recognized. Self becomes less so He, who lives in us, can be more.

        At the cross love bombarded sin. Righteousness overcame the curse of ugliness, impurity of heart and mind. New life was a completed work which became real in our spirit when we were saved. But for it to be real in our attitudes and actions, it has to be fleshed out in our perception of who we are in Him. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to change that perception and the way we think.

         Is it hard for you to exhibit this selfless attitude? You are new—a changed person in Christ. You have a fresh spirit filled with His promise. The old has passed away. But for your soul—your mind—to get it, you must be renewed by His grace in the way you think. You choose to love with His love, and the Holy Spirit enables your choice. His grace breaks the hardness of heart which has been ingrained. It breaks spiritual lies which have claimed your mind. Allow the fruit He infused into your life to be what determines your attitude. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which, when enabled by the Holy Spirit, reveal the selfless mind of Jesus.

         When you are hungry enough to realize that without His grace you cannot have a selfless mind change, you surrender to the process of renewing your mind. Living the loving attitude of Christ becomes His work and nothing to which you can claim any right. By faith continually act upon what you have determined is true, and His grace will make it your reality.

© 2019 Lynn Lacher

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