In All These Things: Christ’s Path and Ours
📖 Devotional Passage: Philippians 2:5-8
"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, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
E. Stanley Jones points us to a single, powerful word: “in.” The Christian life is not about escaping trials or sidestepping difficulties. It is not about soaring above pain or outrunning suffering. Christ’s victory is not an exemption from hardship but a triumph within it.
Paul reveals this truth in Philippians 2: Christ did not remain in heaven, detached from the brokenness of this world. He stepped into humanity, embracing the limitations of flesh. He walked into the mess of life, not hovering above it. And through every step downward—humbling, emptying, serving, suffering—He was fulfilling the very heart of God’s purpose.
His victory was not in evasion but in submission. He conquered by yielding. He ascended by descending.
This is the way of Christ in us. We are not called to avoid suffering, nor to pretend we are unaffected by trials, nor to mask our pain behind religious platitudes. Instead, we walk through hardship in the same way Christ did—with the mind of Christ shaping our response. The world searches for escape, but we stand firm in the life we have received, knowing that in every difficulty, Christ is in us, living through us, overcoming within us.
A single drop of dye, when poured into water, does not float above the surface or sink to the bottom—it infuses the entire glass, changing the whole. So it is with Christ in us. His life permeates our own, not as an external aid but as our very source, enabling us to live from His sufficiency in all things.
Reflection Questions
How does Christ’s example of descending in humility challenge your perspective on trials?
Are there areas where you seek escape rather than trusting Christ to work within the difficulty?
How can you cultivate the mind of Christ in your daily interactions and struggles?
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in every circumstance, Christ’s life is our sufficiency. In trials, we do not shrink back, and in suffering, we do not seek escape. We trust that the same Christ who humbled Himself, stepped into this world, and conquered sin and death now dwells within us, living His life in and through us. We yield to Your work, knowing that You are forming in us the very mind of Christ. We rest in the victory that is already ours, confident that in all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Amen.
📸 Photo Credit: Unsplash
📖 Devotional Excerpt from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones