Same Attitude of Christ

Jesus became what we are so that he might make us what he is.

The goal of a disciple of Christ is to be like Christ. Jesus humbled himself to the point of the crucifixion to free us from our sins. This act of humility and love is the message that Paul wanted the church in Philippi to have. Paul shares the attitudes and actions that will restore peace to strained relationships.

The poem Paul places here, at the heart of this letter, gives the deep groundwork for the challenge to self-sacrificing unity within the church. What is quite clear is that here we have a very, very early statement of Christian faith in who Jesus was and what he accomplished, which following theology has gazed at in awe for its remarkably full and rich account of what was later seen as the classic doctrine of the incarnation of God in Jesus the Messiah.”[1]

These opening verses of chapter 2 prepare the way for the hymnic paragraph that follows. In verse 5, the apostle introduces Jesus as the supreme example of self-denial and humility. The meaning of a right attitude to and regard for others, humility, and compassion, which Paul calls for in vv. 1–4, is presented to the Philippians in which sets forth Christ Jesus as ‘the Lordly Example.’”

We learn nearly every skill by watching and imitating another’s example. Think back to your elementary art days. The teacher would show the whole class a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a bear. Inevitably, your attempt to draw the bear looked nothing like the teacher’s. Over time, however, you gradually improved your drawing skills. If you stuck with it, you may even have become quite good.

Paul challenges the Philippians to remind themselves of Jesus’s humility and continue to implement it in their communities. Our gospel presentation would be much more effective if we followed his advice. Gandhi once said he liked our Christ but did not like the Christians. The Christians were so unlike Christ.

We are called to be imitators of Christ, to live in a way that allows others to see Christ in us. What is an imitator? There is a significant difference between an impersonator and an imitator. Impersonators take great pains to make people believe they are who they are not. On the other hand, imitators are clearly aware that they strive to live up to the challenge of reflecting the person they look up to.

It is so hard to walk in the footsteps of others. Many younger siblings for years wither in the shadow of an overachieving older sibling who sets the standard so high that it is a constant frustration to try to be like them. We look up to those people in church whom we consider spiritual giants and wonder if we will ever be as spiritual as they appear. At work, there is that coworker who is the top salesperson who makes us wonder if we have what it takes to live up to those high standards, no matter how hard we try.

Deep down inside, many of us clearly understand that we will fall short of a perfect imitation of Christ. That is all right. Ultimately Paul’s admonition is not about impersonating Christ but about adopting Christlike attitudes in all aspects of our life. When we try to live up to God’s standards on our own, we become impersonators. That is a tall order and an unrealistic expectation on our part, and it is not what God expects of us.

So then, what does it mean to be called a reflection of Christ? This is not a call to perfection but, rather, an invitation to be honest with ourselves and to understand that God is doing something unique and special in every one of us. This is God’s challenge for us to live in a manner that is counter-cultural.

For example, when we face a national crisis such as a severe economic downturn or inflation, do we run around like Chicken Little screaming, “The sky is falling,” or do we reflect Christ by remaining calm and believing God’s promises of provision for our lives? When bad news reaches our ears, do we respond like those who live without faith, or do we reflect Christ by our reactions to the bad news?

For years as a pastor, I accompanied many people through their death processes and then helped their families deal with grief and loss. Then it was my turn. My mother had terminal cancer and a few months to live, but we hoped she would be around to see my son be born, and the time for my test had come. Would I be a reflection of Christ and face this crisis with faith and peace, or would I give into the ranting, raving accusations against God I had seen in many of the individuals I had accompanied through the loss process?

It is one thing to be on the outside looking in and have a completely different experience to be directly impacted by the situation. Admittedly, I did rant and rave secretly because I had hopes that my mom and dad would spend time with my kids, but that was the selfish part of me. In the midst of it all, I was able to recognize that God understood that I was human and was losing a mother and gaining a son.

People saw my struggle. Even the members of my church understood I was working through something that was new and painful for me. I could have put on a happy face and hidden my sorrow, but that would have made me an impersonator of Christ. Rather, I admitted that I needed God’s presence in my life in a way I had not known before. I sought God’s presence in ways I had never done before. Some days, like Job, I sparred with God. Other days, I held a negotiation session. There were days when I had nothing to say because I was so angry at a God who took my mother and newborn son within weeks from one another. I had peace about my mother’s death but was unprepared for Reid’s death.

Christian living is a process. God’s timeline for each of us is unique, and only God knows what the final product will look like. Friends don’t expect an instantaneous transformation of your life’s attitudes and actions but rather an ongoing process of change that results from the ever-growing awareness of our need to be at a different place if we are to be faithful Christ followers. The process begins with our conscious decision to become reflections of Christ in our actions and reactions to life.

Can the world see Christ in you? Your imitation of him is not about being complacent and well-behaved. Can this church be a safe place for those who are hurting? Allowing the world to see Christ in us means we are willing to step up to our prophetic role. Can people see Christ in you?

When times get difficult, when injustices are prevalent among the people, when a word of hope is needed, let us pray that all can see Christ in us—for that is our calling: to be imitators, not impersonators, of Christ.

[1] N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon [London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004], 102.