Our manner of life expresses the value we place upon Jesus. Our lives become a pleasure to God because we are conformed to His wishes, changed to His ways, and delighting in His desires. Philippians 2:3-8 describes this manner of living:
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:3-8 NAS).
To esteem others as more important does not mean we put ourselves down. It’s God’s desire to lift us up. We must see ourselves from His vantage point. He has elevated us to the position of king and priest. We can now lift others.
When we have a strong self-worth, we will not be threatened by others. When we discover that God’s dream is to live in us and lift us onto His level of living, then we will discover that success is in Him, not in people.
We do not need to look out only for ourselves. Because God is looking out for us, we can give attention to others, to their needs and hurts. We’re not self-centered, rather we are God-centered; and we serve God as we serve other people. That is walking worthy of the Lord.
We know that “all things are ours.” We are not just trying to get something; instead, we are trying to give, giving of ourselves, giving our prayer time, giving our money, giving to others from the power of God that is alive within us.
This is what makes life full and rich. Fulfillment comes from achievement, but lasting fulfillment comes from achievements in service to Christ and others.
Remember, to walk worthy of the Lord is to live in a manner that reflects God’s character and thoughts. The attitude Jesus revealed was that of an obedient bond-servant, a slave of love, one totally given to the desires of His Father and to the deliverance of mankind.
Jesus became the example of a New Testament man, a man born of the Holy Spirit with God as His Father. He emptied Himself of all divine rights and lived as a man subject to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Then, through His obedience, He brought freedom to mankind. Why are we to walk upright? So we can become fruitful. Our obedience to God brings freedom to people. Notice the results of obedience in Jesus:
“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 NAS).
That is increase! It came because Jesus fulfilled the desire of His Father, He was a reflection of God’s character, and His obedience brought deliverance to people everywhere He went.
There was no limit to His fruitfulness to God. He had consecrated His life fully. He pledged Himself before His Father, before the angels, and before mankind that He would not stop short of dying for the world.
Each day we can subject the desire of our mind and will to the will of our Father. We can demonstrate that a person relying on God as his or her source of strength can have victory over sin and Satan.
