Who, being in the very nature God…by taking the very nature of a servant…And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself (Philippians 2: 6-8).

Our culture loves a good “win/win” scenario.  You get what you want, and I get something I want. To get someone to do something, you must give them something. It’s the contract our culture expects.  On the surface this sounds like a great foundation for any community. Everyone wins, right?

But we also know our culture values “getting a deal”.  In our world, we celebrate getting more than we give or giving the minimum to get what we want.  Even with our best intentions, aiming for a “win/win” often leaves one party receiving less than the other.  We start to see how this fractures our communities.  Ultimately, “what do I get” turns to “what’s in it for me”, and then “It’s not worth my time” or “I don’t see any value in helping”.  

If this is supposed to be a win/win culture, why does it feel like no one is winning?

In his letter, Paul tells us to serve selflessly without selfish ambition. When he asks us to emulate the humility of Jesus, he reminds us of who Jesus truly is.

Jesus didn’t come to Earth to offer humanity a “win/win” deal.  Jesus was wholly divine, “being in the very nature of God.” There was nothing that humanity could give to Jesus that wasn’t already his. Yet he didn’t use his divinity to his advantage.  

Jesus didn’t win the way the world expected him to.  Jesus came to us “in appearance as a man” and took on the “very nature of a servant”.  Through his ultimate sacrifice on the Cross, Jesus demonstrates what it means to be humble and obedient to God.   Jesus throws out our worldly definitions of “winning” by revealing the truth of selfless service.  To the world, selfless service looks a lot like losing.

In a “win/win” world, I must be prepared to lose. When Paul celebrates the sacrifice of Jesus, he reminds me to open my heart to Jesus. It’s bigger than serving because I get a reward, and deeper than serving because I feel guilty when I don’t.  To serve in the example of Jesus, I need to let his Spirit live and flourish inside of me. This intimacy with Jesus is what breaks my heart free from the worldly definitions of both “winning” and “losing”.  

“Win/win” serving is acceptable and often encouraged in our culture.  Take time this week to reflect deeply on the service and sacrifice of Jesus and create more space in your heart for his Spirit.  Then look at how your service can counter this world’s definitions of “winning” and “losing.”