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Your attitude should be the same as that of
Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality
with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found
in appearance as a man, he humbled himself. And became obedient to
death. Even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest
place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory
of God the Father. Phillipians 2.5-11
The
lesson here is simple yet difficult. In following Jesus we are following
One who did the opposite of our natural inclinations. We are inclined to
equate our own thoughts with God's, we are inclined to make more of
ourselves than we ought, we are inclined to be served rather than to
serve, we are inclined to appear to others greater than we actually are
(not less), we are inclined to pride (not humility), we are inclined to
disobedience rather than an obedience which causes even a part of us to
die (i.e. our self--image, our comfort, our desires.) We enjoy following
Christ up to the point where He heads towards the cross. But those who
follow through "on the way down," also follow Him, "on the way up."
Keep the faith,
Mike
eDevotions written by Mike Sares. © 2005. |
