Voice: Doreen
Today is Wednesday, 14th of October. We pray:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Psalm 110
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Philippians 2:1-13
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Having the Mind of Christ
What does it mean to have the mind of Christ? We might think of our ability to understand Christian teachings or knowing how to answer difficult theological questions. But in Philippians 2, having the mind of Christ means allowing the humility of Jesus to shape our attitudes, relationships and actions.
Paul begins by reminding the Philippians of what they have received: encouragement in Christ, comfort from love and fellowship in the Spirit. Their shared life grows out of God’s grace.
He then urges them: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (v. 3).
Each of us have different gifts and abilities. Think about our speaking, cooking, singing or painting. You will always be better or weaker than someone else in these areas. Paul is not saying that we should engage in false modesty. Instead, we should avoid thinking that we are more significant than others. Think about this. Each person is made in the image of God. Our true worth is not measured by our talents or achievements. We are all equally significant to God.
A person may be living with autism. Why is he or she less significant than you? Paul challenges us to regard the other as “more significant.” This is a fruit of love and humility.
And Paul asks us to widen our attention: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v. 4). Do we sometimes evaluate a situation by referencing to own needs rather than the needs of others? In this way, we have thought ourselves as more significant than others.
Humility does not mean pretending that we have no value or that everyone else is more capable. Nor does it require us to ignore legitimate needs. It means giving serious attention to the dignity and concerns of the person beside us.
Paul then directs our eyes to Jesus. Though he was in the form of God, Christ took the form of a servant. He became truly human and embraced a servant’s life. It was a downward movement of self-emptying or “kenosis” in Greek. We see this same willingness to see the other as “more significant’ when He takes a towel and washes his disciples’ feet. The same attitude finally led to Him to public and shameful death on a cross.
Why do we sometimes find it so difficult to take the servant’s place? Perhaps we fear becoming insignificant. If we stop drawing attention to ourselves, will anyone notice us?
The passage reminds us that Jesus humbled himself, and the Father exalted him. We can entrust our significance to God. We are created, known and loved by him. Secure in Christ, we are free to serve without making recognition the condition of our faithfulness. It is ironic that when we seek to receive recognition from others, we will lose the spirit of servanthood and our motives will always be mixed.
In time, and eternity, our Father who sees everything will recognise and reward us.
How will having the mind of Christ shape the way you live today? It may mean listening patiently, sharing credit, making an apology or helping with a task that no one notices. It will take a whole lifetime to grow into the likeness of Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
Let us pray:
Father, thank you that our lives matter to you. Forgive our selfish ambition and our hunger for recognition. By your Holy Spirit, form the mind of Christ in us. Help us attend to the needs of others, serve with love and entrust our honour to you. May our life together bring glory to your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, What you could do with me by Josh Wright
You took a stone to kill a giant
You took a staff to part the sea
And only You could do so much
With ordinary things
You took a slave to tame a lion
You took a rock to make a stream
And only You would choose
A shepherd boy to be a king
[Chorus]
So I don’t have to be the strongest
Cause You are perfect in my weakness
If You can move a mountain
With faith like a grain of mustard seed
I wonder what You could do with me
[Verse 2]
You’re the God of all creation
You’re the King above all kings
But only You would choose
A rugged cross to rescue me
You’re the healer of the broken
By faith I still believe
You took on my flesh, You conquered death
Lord You are my victory
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen. Unless otherwise stated, the reflections are written by Revd Wong.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg. We also welcome donations to MPCC. Information on how you may give can be found in this link.
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