Philippians 2

Philippians 2:8
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
 
This might be one of the most important texts on humility we could ever study. Our society stresses the concept of upward mobility. It’s the capacity to rise higher and higher in our social status. Keep stepping up! It’s the American way - achievement, advancement, success, upward mobility! But the Jesus Way is found on the path of downward mobility. Instead of taking steps up, Jesus took 3 steps down! The Son of God gets treated like a man (step #1), then he gets treated like a servant (step #2), and finally he gets treated like a criminal (step #3).
 
To “stand down” is to withdraw from a contest, or from a position of power. I’m not talking about abdicating responsibility. But humbling yourself in relationships. If we are going to be the people of God, then we will need to stand down, and follow Jesus on the path of downward mobility.