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A Reflection on Philippians 2:5–11, the Road, and Life in Between
There’s something about life on the road that strips things down to what actually matters.
When we lived FULL TIME IN OUR RV, stability wasn’t found in routines or predictability. It came from learning how to stay grounded while everything else kept moving.
Travel has a way of exposing what you rely on for security—status, control, comfort, certainty.
At the time, I didn’t have language for it. But looking back, I can see how much those years quietly shaped the way I read Scripture now, especially passages like Philippians 2:5–11.
Not everything that feels like humility actually is.
The Mind of Christ and the Question of Power
In Philippians 2, Paul isn’t offering abstract theology or asking believers to become smaller versions of themselves.
Instead, he is addressing how people relate to one another...
Especially in environments shaped by comparison, competition, and hierarchy.
Sound Familiar? This seems very applicable today in Western culture
Jesus is presented as fully secure in who He is, yet unwilling to grasp for advantage.
His humility is not rooted in denial of identity, but in the refusal to exploit power.
Humility here is not silence. It is restraint.
It is faithfulness without domination.
What the Road and Missions Taught Me
Living on the road, and later serving in MISSION SPACES, made this distinction tangible.
Sometimes there’s a quiet temptation to believe humility means shrinking yourself. Don’t take up space. Don’t speak too confidently. Don’t challenge systems, just serve. But humility can also be lost to its opposite: pride, savior complexes, and personal agendas.
But that isn’t the humility Paul describes.
Christ doesn’t avoid truth to keep peace. He doesn’t ignore injustice to appear gentle. He remains faithful without adopting the tools of domination or control.
That position became clearer to me the longer I lived outside of comfort and predictability.
Travel taught me that humility isn’t about becoming invisible, it’s about being faithful WITHOUT NEEDING TO MANAGE OUTCOMES
The Same Lesson, Different Setting
Today, my life looks quieter. Fewer miles. MORE RESPONSIBILITY AT HOME. Different rhythms, but the same formation.
HOMESCHOOLING, keeping schedules aligned, supporting my family from behind the scenes... it’s easy to confuse service with silence, or faithfulness with self-neglect.
Philippians 2 keeps pulling me back.
Humility doesn’t mean saying yes to everything.
It doesn’t mean ignoring limits.
It doesn’t mean enduring what erodes your dignity.
It means choosing integrity when it would be easier to react.
It means holding conviction without hardening the heart.
It means serving without grasping for recognition.
Faithfulness Without Mirroring Injustice
So, in a world marked by fear, division, and power struggles, Philippians 2 offers something deeper than reaction or retreat.
It calls believers to remain faithful without mirroring injustice.
- Jesus confronts wrongdoing without becoming unjust.
- He resists domination without surrendering truth.
- He remains whole, even when systems around Him are not.
That kind of humility forms us.
And whether on the road, in mission spaces, or in the quiet faithfulness of everyday life, the invitation remains the same: to live with a posture shaped not by fear or grasping, but by trust, courage, and integrity.
A Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
give us the mind, heart, and restraint of Christ,
Teach us how to love without domination,
to serve without erasing ourselves,
and to pursue justice without losing mercy.
Form our hearts so that in every place we live and serve,
we reflect Your character with humility, courage, and peace.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, feel free to leave a comment below.
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