Humble Love

Doesn’t it feel great to get noticed for doing something well? Maybe you did a huge favour for a sibling or bought your boyfriend or girlfriend a gift that you knew they’d love. You acted out of love, but was it love for another person or love for yourself? Did you just want to help them, or were you happy that it made you look good as well?

In Philippians, Paul explains that real love is humble love. It’s not about looking for your benefit, but for the benefit of someone else. Humility in love means loving selflessly, valuing others above yourself, and putting the needs of others before your own.

Paul tells us that Jesus has shown us the perfect example of what humble love looks like in his death on the cross. Jesus isn’t just a great speaker or teacher, but actually God! Yet he didn’t use that power to love himself or take advantage of others. Instead, he put it to one side and became like a servant, putting our need for rescue before his own needs. Only in that perfect humility did God then give Jesus the greatest possible praise.

Questions:  

1. Do you think humble love means just giving in to whatever someone else wants? Why/why not?  
2. Are there areas of your life where you have power or influence? Maybe among friends? What would it look like to follow Jesus’ example?  
3. What about areas where you are powerless? Maybe at school or home? What does living out humble love look like in those circumstances?

Prayer:

Father God, thank you that Jesus came as a servant and used his power to humbly love and serve me so that I might know you. Help me to love and serve others humbly in a way that puts them first but keeps me safe too. Amen.