Friday, March 30, 2007

Philippians 2:5-11 (The Message)
5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
9-11Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Do you have a best friend? Does your friend have certain words or phrases that he or she is always saying? Have you ever found yourself saying those same things? This is something that happens to all of us. When we hang out with a person we like for long periods of time we start to become like that person.

That is how it should work with Jesus. If we build a relationship with him and spend a lot of time getting to know who he is, we ought to start becoming like him.

This passage from Philippians tells us that we should be like Jesus in that we think of ourselves the way Jesus thought of himself. That way of thinking is called humility. Jesus was God, but he set aside his special powers and privileges in order that he might be human and die the worst kind of death, a slow painful one of suffocation while hanging on a cross. Because Jesus chose to live this life of humility in obedience to God, Jesus will be exalted and worshiped as king of everything.

Do you think of yourself the way Jesus thought of himself? Are you humble?

Are you obedient to God’s instructions in your own life?

What can you do to become more like Jesus?