Good morning!
Humility as the foundation for true Christ-centered relationships
Philippians 2 is one my favorite chapters in scripture specifically verses 1-8. It captures the heart of God's love for humanity...
Philippians 2:1-8
Imitating Christ’s Humility
Humility – definition - the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people: the quality or state of being humble. I have heard others give a Biblical take on this definition - humility before God - thinking less of myself and thinking more of Jesus...
This word popped into my head during prayer recently – as it often does. I went to my handy note-pad to write it down. It has been on my heart in a few ways over the last few weeks. (It is funny that I first wrote about this word in 2016 yet here in 2026 this word has resurfaced and I am spending a lot of time contemplating what this looks like from a Christ-follower perspective…any thoughts?)
I think we all appreciate hearing kind words of encouragement, pats on the back for a job well done – all of this is good for a person’s mood and mind set; providing a sense of being loved both by those around us and by Christ.
However, for me there is danger – using that input to stoke my ego, using that information to take credit, taking those kind words and using them to put myself above others. Satan loves for us to fall into that trap. Taking the God given gift of positive encouragement and support and gratitude; the gift often shared in love to support one another, Satan turns it into selfishness, if we let him. (I think here in 2026, more than ever, we are seeing social pressures pushing us to hold ourselves up on pedestals rather than looking to serve others)
That is why I have come to love the word humble in all its forms. Remembering my relationship with God through Jesus Christ, that we have been called to share the good news and to serve others – that is being humble – using those gifts I received from God – those given in His creation of me, knitted in the womb and those given through the life He has given me to live – to do His will. When this is my mindset, when I step back from the brink of selfishness and remember who God made me (us) to be, there is warmth of His love to be had in having humility in our hearts for that makes us true servants.
HUMILITY THEN LEADS TO RELATIONSHIPS THAT HOLD VALUE – IN SOME SENSE “HOLY RELATIONSHIPS”, LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE WITH JESUS CHRIST AND GOD THE FATHER.
Relationships - It is pretty clear that relationships are more important than anything else in our lives. It starts with the most important relationship we have – with God, specifically through Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, through which our relationship with the Father has been saved – for eternity. We are called often in scripture to take this understanding into our relationships that are a part of this world – with our families, friends, those we encounter, even our enemies. Philippians 2:1-8 frames it so well – value each other above yourselves – have the same way of thinking about relationships with each other as Christ did…
This kind of thinking should become normal for us, especially if God has called you into a role that involves relational interactions with others. For those in other roles or in non-relational callings or in a secular role, this kind of relational perspective can be very challenging.
God has blessed me and continues to bless me by calling me into relational roles. God blesses those of you in other roles and yet this might be harder to see sometimes – I certainly have heard that from others who do not see their calling at all or view their callings as non-relational. However, His hand is the hand that created each connection, each relationship that led you and I to any relationship formed where God has placed us and that now becomes a part of the fabric of this season of our lives.
Humility laid the foundation for these holy relationships in Christ.
We are richer in our lives and in our lives in Christ, because God felt it was important that, for a little while, our lives connect (yes even through this blog) – even if it isn’t often, or is seemingly insignificant when we do interact or even if we never interact except for the fact that you are reading this..
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us today is that we know the truth of God’s desire for us to be humble in service and that we are able to share the warmth of that truth that has been created in our hearts with others, and I am grateful that for some of you, I at least a little about each of you. Yet also grateful for those who read this, but we do not know each other. And finally – is that WE remember always – relationships built in humility with each other and with other people can truly reflect You Lord, Your Light Jesus Christ. … Amen!
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Patrick
Humility as the foundation for true Christ-centered relationships
Philippians 2 is one my favorite chapters in scripture specifically verses 1-8. It captures the heart of God's love for humanity...
Philippians 2:1-8
Imitating Christ’s Humility
- Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, hen make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 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!
Humility – definition - the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people: the quality or state of being humble. I have heard others give a Biblical take on this definition - humility before God - thinking less of myself and thinking more of Jesus...
This word popped into my head during prayer recently – as it often does. I went to my handy note-pad to write it down. It has been on my heart in a few ways over the last few weeks. (It is funny that I first wrote about this word in 2016 yet here in 2026 this word has resurfaced and I am spending a lot of time contemplating what this looks like from a Christ-follower perspective…any thoughts?)
I think we all appreciate hearing kind words of encouragement, pats on the back for a job well done – all of this is good for a person’s mood and mind set; providing a sense of being loved both by those around us and by Christ.
However, for me there is danger – using that input to stoke my ego, using that information to take credit, taking those kind words and using them to put myself above others. Satan loves for us to fall into that trap. Taking the God given gift of positive encouragement and support and gratitude; the gift often shared in love to support one another, Satan turns it into selfishness, if we let him. (I think here in 2026, more than ever, we are seeing social pressures pushing us to hold ourselves up on pedestals rather than looking to serve others)
That is why I have come to love the word humble in all its forms. Remembering my relationship with God through Jesus Christ, that we have been called to share the good news and to serve others – that is being humble – using those gifts I received from God – those given in His creation of me, knitted in the womb and those given through the life He has given me to live – to do His will. When this is my mindset, when I step back from the brink of selfishness and remember who God made me (us) to be, there is warmth of His love to be had in having humility in our hearts for that makes us true servants.
HUMILITY THEN LEADS TO RELATIONSHIPS THAT HOLD VALUE – IN SOME SENSE “HOLY RELATIONSHIPS”, LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE WITH JESUS CHRIST AND GOD THE FATHER.
Relationships - It is pretty clear that relationships are more important than anything else in our lives. It starts with the most important relationship we have – with God, specifically through Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, through which our relationship with the Father has been saved – for eternity. We are called often in scripture to take this understanding into our relationships that are a part of this world – with our families, friends, those we encounter, even our enemies. Philippians 2:1-8 frames it so well – value each other above yourselves – have the same way of thinking about relationships with each other as Christ did…
This kind of thinking should become normal for us, especially if God has called you into a role that involves relational interactions with others. For those in other roles or in non-relational callings or in a secular role, this kind of relational perspective can be very challenging.
God has blessed me and continues to bless me by calling me into relational roles. God blesses those of you in other roles and yet this might be harder to see sometimes – I certainly have heard that from others who do not see their calling at all or view their callings as non-relational. However, His hand is the hand that created each connection, each relationship that led you and I to any relationship formed where God has placed us and that now becomes a part of the fabric of this season of our lives.
Humility laid the foundation for these holy relationships in Christ.
We are richer in our lives and in our lives in Christ, because God felt it was important that, for a little while, our lives connect (yes even through this blog) – even if it isn’t often, or is seemingly insignificant when we do interact or even if we never interact except for the fact that you are reading this..
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us today is that we know the truth of God’s desire for us to be humble in service and that we are able to share the warmth of that truth that has been created in our hearts with others, and I am grateful that for some of you, I at least a little about each of you. Yet also grateful for those who read this, but we do not know each other. And finally – is that WE remember always – relationships built in humility with each other and with other people can truly reflect You Lord, Your Light Jesus Christ. … Amen!
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Patrick
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