2026 Pentecost Devotions II
Thursday, September 24
Philippians 2:1-13
1 If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
“… Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. …”
Paul’s admonition to the Philippians is antithetical to our cultural motto: “Every Man for Himself”. Certainly, the apostle’s call to put the other person ahead of oneself flies in the face of society’s rush to individualism. “What’s best for the world is what’s best for me” seems to dominate much of what we see, hear, and receive from the world.
Paul pictures a different experience. In Philippians, the apostle urges followers of Jesus to hold the other person in higher regard than oneself. It’s not about being a “doormat” for others to walk on. Rather, it’s recognizing the other person as a child of God, created in the same image as oneself, and responding to them accordingly.
Tenderness, kindliness, humility, and true affection rule the day. There is no place for conceit, selfishness, or arrogance. Instead, love of the other – love of neighbor – is the rule of the day. In these ways, we mirror Jesus himself – giving of self for the sake of the other – and for the sake of the world. This is the example our Lord sets for us – an example Paul calls us to follow.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have shown us the way of true love. Teach me Your way of love – putting other’s interests ahead of mine – that I may reflect Your love and Your commands. Amen.