Quick Backdrop

We know we’re supposed to be Christlike, so we try. After a while and a few mistakes, though, we feel we’ll never be Christlike. Then we quit trying.

To be honest, we might be setting our sites too high. When we picture being Christlike, we tend to picture His sacrifice and His dying on the cross. We think, “I never could do that,” but here’s the thing: None of us will be called on to sacrifice ourselves for the sins of the world. Jesus already did that.

Thankfully, Scripture points us toward less lofty aspirations we can use to imitate Jesus. In fact, Philippians 2:5-8 gives us a very specific aspiration with a very targeted application. As you read the passage, find what we’re to aspire to in being like Jesus and note where we are to apply this aspiration.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).

OK, I say to lower our sites in imitating Jesus and then direct you to a verse that speaks of Jesus being obedient to death on a cross! Sorry for the apparent contradiction, but let’s back up and look at the detail. What exactly is this passage telling us to imitate? It’s not telling us to imitate Jesus’ actions, but rather to imitate the mindset of these actions. The word mindset is defined as “attitude, disposition or mood.” We can do attitude, disposition or mood.

Let’s make sure we understand Jesus’ mindset. Look at all that Jesus did, then list four or five words that you think describe the mindset of Jesus.

The instruction in Philippians 2:5 tells us where to specifically apply the mindset of Jesus. Where is that?

Putting into Practice

If we are truly honest with ourselves, when we think about our relationships we often think about what we are getting out of the relationship, whether it’s a friendship, a dating relationship, a teacher, a coach, even a family member. What happens if we apply Jesus’ mindset to all the relationships in our lives? How might our interaction change if we approached our relationships with the same mindset Jesus had when approaching the cross?

Listed below are potential relationships you may have in your life. Look at the words you used to describe the mindset of Jesus in the Philippians passage and run each relationship through the filter of Jesus’ mindset. Take a minute to write on a sheet of paper or in an e-doc how you can apply Jesus’ mindset to each relationship situation.

• Close friends

• Dating relationship

• Members of your youth group or campus club (Young Life, FCA, Campus Life, etc.)

• People you serve (homeless shelter, food mission, work camp)

• Teacher/coach

• Family (parents, sibling)

• Secondary relationships (store clerks, food servers)

Make it a daily goal to interact with people with the mindset of Jesus. Before long, you will find yourself being more Christlike than you could have ever imagined.