An example to follow
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 The Apostle Paul from the text urged Christians to have the attitude of Christ. Christ demonstrated a great example of what obedience to God looked like. Our attitudes are results of our choices. Our choices today will have an impact on how we live our lives serving God. Jesus was the Son of God. He is the center and purpose of creation. “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-18). Despite the position and the rights the Lord Jesus Christ have, He chose not to hold on to these rights. Not even His position in heaven was so precious to Him that He could not give it up if when His Father asked Him to sacrifice His life for the forgiveness of our sins. His love for us and His obedience to the Father’s will compelled Him to make any sacrifice necessary in order to be obedient to Him. When the Father required a perfect sinless sacrifice for the redemption of humanity, the Lord Jesus Christ did not cling to His rights. He did not argue regarding the sufferings He will endure for the sins of rebellious creatures like us. “He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7). He relinquished the glory of His heavenly existence in order to take our form so He could dwell among us. He was born in a cattle shed and he slept in a feeding trough for animals. His life was spent preparing for the day when He would suffer an agonizing execution. He did these all willingly. There is always a temptation to hold tight to things God has given us. We say, “I would be willing to give up anything God asked of me, but I just don’t think He would ask me to give anything up!” Jesus took a radical change in His life in order to show that He loves us. God is commanding us to take Christ’s attitude of selfless sacrifice. If you find yourself resisting every time God seeks to adjust your life to His will, ask the Spirit to give you the same selfless attitude that Jesus demonstrated.
Blessings,
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