Proud to be an American?

"Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Philippians 3:17

What is this example and pattern and what does it have to do with our national pride?

The Example

Philippians 2

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 
 ⁶Who, being in very nature God, 
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 
 ⁷but made himself nothing, 
      taking the very nature of a servant, 
      being made in human likeness. 
 ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, 
      he humbled himself 
      and became obedient to death— 
         even death on a cross! 

Christ is here put forward as the prime example.  If there is a pattern, we should see this example repeated in Paul's own attitude.

The Pattern

Philippians 3

"If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  ⁷But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ, ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

So the pattern is one of rejecting status that could reasonably result in pride, disregarding that status.  In Paul's case it is national, tribal, religious and legal status.

The Philippians would have had status as citizens of a prosperous Roman colony, Rome being the greatest empire to date.  They are being asked to follow the example of Christ in the pattern established by Paul.

If we were to follow this example and pattern, what would it look like?  What marks of pride and status would Christians in the U.S. today be asked to regard as rubbish in order to move more fully into our identity in Christ?