Living together in peace and unity is never easy. At work, in the church, in marriage, in the home, or in the neighborhood, we all face difficulties in getting along with other people.
The apostle Paul said to people who were not getting along, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). The answer to most strife and discord is to have the attitude and disposition of Jesus.
Most strife is due to our selfishness. We feel that we have been wronged. We have not been treated right. We have not gotten what we deserve and so we become angry and defensive.
Jesus was never this way.
He continually displayed an unselfish spirit in all that he did. This selfless spirit doesn’t mean that we don't care for ourselves, but that we refuse to let personal interests and advantages govern the course of our life.
We must also be humble. Mark Twain said, "Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there." Jesus completely emptied himself of any pride when he gave up the glory of heaven and his equality with God and came down to earth as a man to eventually die on the cross.
Think of it. The Lord of all became the servant of all. That’s the spirit we need. Pride is the greatest enemy of peace and unity. Our tendency is to exalt ourselves, not to humble ourselves. We do not want to give any appearance of weakness. The result of that is always strife.
And we must be obedient. Because of his willingness to obey God rather than his own desires and wishes, Jesus made our salvation possible. If we can learn to do the same, then we can solve any problem or difficulty.