[Excerpts taken from Philippians: A 4-Day Devotional by NewSpring Church

https://newspring.cc/devotionals/philippians-a-4-day-devotional/how-to-find-moments-of-freedom-in-anxious-times]

Read Philippians 2

Life never seems to go the way we imagine it will in our heads. We all certainly faced that quandary with how 2020 went – right? None of us expected to be quarantined, locked-down or in a social-distancing type of mode for this long!

No matter the effort we put into preparing our day-to-day lives, unforeseen circumstances can leave us feeling frustrated. I think we all have some sort of routine we get into and that routine can easily turn into a rut we find ourselves stuck in. Certainly working from home these past 10 or so months has taken its toll on my mental, physical and emotional state to easily put me into a rut!

Many of us have believed the lie that Christians won’t have troubles. But Jesus tells us plainly in John 16:33, “... In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We will have problems. The question is what we do when we face obstacles.

In Philippians 2, Paul writes that we are to have the same mindset as Jesus. Jesus’ life was full of difficulty. Jesus had every reason to complain but never did. And even though Jesus was divine in nature, He never used His equality with God to His advantage. He humbled himself and took the position of a servant.

Keeping that in mind, think about the things we all complain about:

How long will I need to wear a mask and social distance?

When can I see my friends?

Why is the traffic messing up MY schedule?

Why can’t they ever get MY order right?

Could pride be at the root of some of our complaints?

Jesus didn’t deserve the pain He endured, yet He never once protested. That kind of behavior gets someone’s attention. Can you imagine if we all did the same? We would stand out among our peers as “stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15).

Jesus came to bring people to His Father. When He left, He challenged us to do the same. As we choose to humble ourselves, taking on an attitude of gratitude instead of grumbling, we point people toward our Father.

Reflect:

What is one thing you have grumbled about this past week?
How could gratitude and humility change your attitude toward that situation?

Let us pray:

Father God - I humble myself before you today. Take away any selfish pride from my life and fill it with the humility of Jesus. Thank you for loving me even in my sinful nature. Help me to always choose an attitude of gratitude even when I face challenges. In Jesus name – Amen.