taking up of lowly position, disadvantage, incapacity, and dependence (these are all opposites of what was laid aside). Paul, therefore, is illustrating, through Christ's example, the plea he makes in verses 2, 3, and 4 to have accord instead of strife, unity of love and purpose; to reject selfishness and vanity; and tounselfishly value other people's concerns and feelings without putting yourself first, and to take care of others' needs in the same way you take care of your own needs.

2then ... being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philipians 2:2-4)

To me, it means that we all need to embrace the idea of a servant's heart.  In other words, we should be more concerned with helping other people than taking care of ourselves.  God wants us to take care of others, not wait for them to take care of us!

Paul's letter to the Philippians recalls Christ's message that "he who exalts himself shall be humbled...he who humbles himself shall be exalted."  For, Paul reminds the Phillippians that Chirst humbled Himself

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 and as a result of this humbly of Himself, Christ is exalted by God.

This example of Christ's own act of humility serves as a profound example to all Christians.

This chapter engages one of the most beautiful metaphors of all time--the wine offering as the offering of Christ's blood, poured out for humanity. (This refers to Christ's "emptying himself," to which you referred in your question.) This figurative language and sense of ritual is one that Paul echoes in verses 17-18:

"But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you, too should be glad and rejoice with me."

Again, we get this image of man as a vessel, who holds within him blood, spirit, and soul--precious and potent as wine. Paul tells his followers that, like Christ, we should embrace the opportunity to pour ourselves out, empty ourselves of all that is within us, to serve others. And--most significant--we should not begrudge that spilling of those contents, but rather "be glad and rejoice" for our chance to live as Christ did.

Let us remind ourselves of the context of this famous passage in Philippians Chapter 2. Paul is trying to urge the Christians at Philippi to be united and to love one another. The example of Jesus that he quotes in verses 6-11, which are actually thought by many critics to be an early form of a Christian hymn, give his readers the kind of example he wants them to imitate. Note how he makes his expectations of the kind of behaviour he wants them to demonstrate clear in verses 2-4:

...being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Paul is trying to urge his readers therefore to be united in self-sacrificing love for one another, not thinking just of themselves, of their "own interests." As verse 5 makes clear, the perfect example of the kind of attitude Paul is trying to instil in his readers is Jesus Christ. Interestingly, although Christ as a character is so different from sinful humans, Paul here points out that Christ's attitude of self-sacrificing love and humility is precisely the kind of attitude that we must imitate. Of course, Christ's supreme demonstration of these qualities--his death on a cross for us--present his readers with the kind of model that they must follow in their relations with others.

Paul thus cites Christ as an example in this passage for his readers to see the ultimate example of self-sacrifical love and humilty that they are themselves to follow and imitate in their relations with each other and with the wider community.