Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

Philippians 2:1–5

Have you noticed how much of our culture is centered on me?

We even call it the “me-generation.” The mantra of our day is, “But what about me?” We’re conditioned to put ourselves first—our needs, our wants, our plans. Commercials tell us, “You deserve this.” Social media tells us to promote ourselves. Everywhere we turn, the world tells us: “Make it about you.”

And then Paul comes along in Philippians 2:1–5 and says something radically different.

Reading Paul’s Words

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:1–5, ESV)

Paul’s words hit hard, don’t they? Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. Instead, in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.

That seems like mission impossible. Is he serious? Yes. But Paul also knows something important: we can’t live this way in our own strength.

Humility Isn’t Thinking Less of Yourself

Let’s clear something up right away. Humility doesn’t mean walking around thinking poorly of yourself. It doesn’t mean being a doormat or letting others abuse you. It doesn’t mean ignoring your own needs.

Humility means you don’t think less of yourself—you think of yourself less.

It’s about shifting the focus. Instead of always asking, “How does this affect me?” humility asks, “How can I serve someone else in this moment?”

Imagining a Different Way

Imagine a world—or even just a family—where we actually lived this out.

• What if, instead of spending that extra $100 on something you want, you used it to bless someone else in your home or in your circle of friends?
• What if they did the same for you?
• What if we cared more about each other’s needs than our own?

Imagine how different conversations would feel if, instead of jumping in with our own problems, we started by asking: “How are you doing today? What’s going on in your world?” And then—this is key—we actually listened.

What if we began to value the very people we say we love more highly than ourselves?

That’s not weakness. That’s Christlike strength.

Learning from Jesus

Paul says we are to have “the mind of Christ.”

Think about Jesus’ life. He didn’t walk around demanding recognition. He didn’t use His power to elevate Himself. He lived with humility. He served. He put others first—even when it cost Him everything.

If we belong to Him, then His Spirit empowers us to live this way too. That’s good news, because none of us can pull this off on our own. We need the Holy Spirit’s help every single day.

Living with the mind of Christ means surrendering our choices, our attitudes, our reactions to Him. It means waking up and saying, “Jesus, live through me today. Help me to love like You, serve like You, reflect You.”

Boundaries and Love

Now, let me say this clearly: putting others first doesn’t mean letting people mistreat you. You can love someone and still set boundaries.

Humility doesn’t mean allowing abuse. You can say, “I love you, but I won’t let you treat me this way.” You can love someone and still keep healthy distance if closeness isn’t safe.

Putting others first means seeing them the way Christ does. It means showing them grace and kindness even when they aren’t acting lovely. It means reflecting Christ in how we respond.

A Strange but Beautiful Way

Paul’s words sound strange in our culture. Who really wants to put others ahead of themselves? But imagine the ripple effect if even a handful of us started living this way.

• Families would look different.
• Churches would look different.
• Workplaces would look different.
• Communities would look different.

We’d stand out—not for being self-promoters, but for being Christ-reflectors.

Bringing It Home

So let’s bring this down to where we live.

• Who in your life needs you to think of them first today?
• How can you show love in a way that reflects Christ?
• Where do you need to shift the focus off yourself and onto serving someone else?

Living with the mind of Christ isn’t about one big dramatic gesture. It’s about a thousand little daily choices to love, serve, and put others first.

Final Thought

Paul reminds us that the mindset of Jesus is ours in Christ. That means it’s possible. Not because we’re strong, but because He lives in us.

So today, let’s choose humility. Let’s choose to think of ourselves less. Let’s choose to reflect Jesus in our homes, in our friendships, in our workplaces, and even in our toughest relationships.

Because when we love and serve like Christ, the world gets to see Him through us.

👉 Who is one person you can choose to put first this week?