Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 2:5
In the 1800s, missionary Hudson Taylor—the founder of the China Inland Mission—was invited to speak at a large church in Australia. As he sat waiting, the moderator introduced him with great fanfare, listing Taylor’s many accomplishments and calling him “our illustrious guest.” The congregation sat in silent admiration, eager to hear from a man God had used so greatly.
When Taylor stepped up to the pulpit, he paused for a moment, then quietly began: “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.”1
The audience, expecting a grand opening, was struck by the humility of those words. Taylor’s simple statement pointed everyone’s attention away from himself and directly to Jesus Christ. His humility reflected the very mind of Christ described in Philippians 2—laying aside self-glory and exalting the Lord above all else.
We’re called to think like Christ:
- Selfless – He laid aside His rights.
- Humble – He made Himself of no reputation.
- Servant-hearted – He came to serve, not be served.
- Obedient – Even unto death on a cross.
- Verse 6 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.”
- Verse 7 – “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”
- Verse 8 – “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Application
It’s tempting to let pride slip into our ministry, family, or daily life—wanting recognition or credit. But Jesus calls us to a different path: humility that gives glory to God, seeks the good of others, and lives in obedient service.
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30
“The measure of a man’s greatness is not the number of servants he has,
– Dr. Jack Hyles
but the number of people he serves.”
- Howard Taylor and Geraldine Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1932), 145. ↩︎
This was good because I struggle with pride…I need to learn humility…