"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:3-5)
These verses are a great example of how to love like Jesus when viewed in the proper context. You have to break them in two though if you want to know what Paul was really trying to say here.
#1 Selfishness and empty conceit = bad, and humility = good.
#2 Regard another person as more important than yourself, and rather than looking out for your own interests only, look out for their interests as well.
They need to be viewed separately to be understood because being unselfish and humble, while all well and good, count for very little if you do so apart from any practical knowledge. In other words, it is impossible to regard another as more important than yourself and look out for their interests unless you actually take the time to find out what is really in their best interest, or what their interests are. Doing something that inconveniences you that you think might be nice, or the best thing for them, doesn't go the whole way. If your aim is at all to behave selflessly, you need to get in their Cool-Aid, read their mental and emotional mail, then act on what you find.
Once done, like two great tastes that taste great together, you will be pleasantly surprised to find you are actually bringing the integral pieces of God's character to bear that may transform a moment, a day, or even a life. Before you know it you'll be the living, breathing Love of Christ to another human being without even realising it and, however indirectly, following the example Jesus left us all. Pretty neat huh?
"who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)
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