“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7).

“He made himself nothing” is literally “He emptied Himself.” Jesus didn’t empty Himself of His divinity. He was always God! He did lay aside His divine privileges so He could live as a Man and die for our sins. As the old theologians stated it He was fully God and fully Man.

There is no better picture of humility in Scripture than this. God Himself coming as a Man to take on the sins of all of us so we could have eternal fellowship with our heavenly Father is a staggering picture of grace.

When Paul began this paragraph he encouraged us to have this same attitude. When we believe in Jesus we begin a life that is lived for the sake of others. Humility isn’t thinking that we are worthless. It is thinking of the importance of others so we can encourage them to be what God has created them to be. Jesus did that for us and that’s what He wants us to do for those around us.