The Mind of Christ: The Glory He Laid Aside
The Mind of Christ: The Glory He Laid Aside
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped." - Philippians 2:5-6
Paul's words invite us into one of the deepest mysteries of the gospel: the eternal Son of God willingly laid aside the privileges of heaven to enter the brokenness of our world.
Before Bethlehem, before the manger, before the cross, Christ existed in eternal glory. He was not merely near God; He was God. He shared the worship of angels, the splendor of heaven, and the unbroken fellowship of the Father and the Spirit. The One who spoke galaxies into existence, who upholds all things by the word of His power, dwelt in perfect majesty and honor from all eternity.
Yet Philippians tells us that He did not cling to His rights and privileges. He did not insist on His position. He did not demand that His glory be recognized. Instead, He willingly emptied Himself, not by ceasing to be God, but by taking upon Himself everything that comes with being human.
Consider what Christ embraced:
The Creator entered His creation.
The King of heaven became dependent upon a young mother for His care.
The One who owned all things had nowhere to lay His head.
The One surrounded by the praise of angels was misunderstood, rejected, mocked, and betrayed by those He came to save.
The One who knew perfect fellowship entered a world fractured by sin.
The One who knew no sin bore the weight of sin.
The One who had never experienced death submitted Himself to death.
And perhaps most staggering of all, the beloved Son who had eternally enjoyed the Father's favor endured the agony of bearing divine judgment on behalf of sinners. On the cross He cried, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" entering a depth of suffering we can scarcely comprehend.
Christ's humility was not simply that He became a servant. His humility is measured by the infinite distance He traveled. The descent was from heaven's throne to a criminal's cross. The wonder is not merely that He served, but who it was that served.
What makes Christ's humility even more profound is that every step of His earthly life was marked by surrender to the Father's will. Though fully God, He chose the path of obedience. He surrendered His rights, His comfort, His reputation, His safety, and ultimately His life.
Again and again Jesus demonstrated this posture:
"I seek not My own will but the will of Him who sent Me." (John 5:30)
In Gethsemane, facing the unimaginable horror of the cross, His prayer revealed the depth of His surrender:
"Not My will, but Yours, be done." (Luke 22:42)
The mind of Christ is, at its core, a surrendered mind. It is a heart that trusts the Father enough to yield completely to His purposes, even when the path leads through suffering.
This is where Philippians 2 becomes deeply personal. Paul is not merely asking us to admire Christ's humility; he is calling us to participate in it.
The reality is that none of us can manufacture the mind of Christ through willpower alone. Our natural tendency is to protect ourselves, defend our rights, seek recognition, and maintain control. The mind of Christ is not something we achieve, it is something the Holy Spirit forms within us as we surrender to Him.
Just as Christ surrendered Himself to the Father's will, we are called to surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit's work. Every day the Spirit invites us to lay down our agendas, our pride, our need to be right, our desire to control outcomes, and even our cherished plans.
The surrendered life is not passive resignation; it is active trust.
It is waking each day and saying:
"Holy Spirit, my life belongs to You."
"My plans belong to You."
"My reputation belongs to You."
"My ministry belongs to You."
"My future belongs to You."
The more we surrender, the more room there is for the Spirit to shape us into the likeness of Christ. The Spirit produces in us what we could never produce on our own, a humility that serves, a love that sacrifices, a patience that endures, and an obedience that trusts God regardless of the cost.
The irony of the Christian life is that surrender is not loss, it is freedom. When we release our grip on ourselves, we discover the joy of being carried by God. When we relinquish control, we experience the peace of His leadership. When we die to self, the life of Christ becomes increasingly visible in us.
The same Christ who surrendered everything for our redemption now lives within us through His Spirit. The mind that led Him from heaven to the cross is the very mind the Spirit is forming in every believer today.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am overwhelmed by the glory You left behind and the humility You embraced for my sake. You surrendered every privilege and willingly obeyed the Father, even unto death on a cross. Forgive me for the ways I cling to control, comfort, and self-interest.
Holy Spirit, I cannot develop the mind of Christ on my own. I surrender myself to Your work within me. Shape my thoughts, desires, attitudes, and actions to reflect Jesus. Teach me to lay down my rights, trust God's purposes, and walk in joyful obedience. May my life become a living testimony of the One who gave up everything so that I might gain everything in Him.
Amen.
Praying with you,
The MissioCare Collective Team