Obedience manifested in humility
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. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8 Our actions and attitudes are results of our choices. We choose them. From our text, Jesus provided us a great example of what our attitude should be. He’s was the supreme example that every believer should emulate. Jesus was the Son of God and it was His place to rule the universe. But because of His love, He humbled Himself and chose to empty Himself and took the form of a bond-servant. He left His position in heaven for His love for His Father that compelled Him to make any sacrifice necessary in order to be obedient to Him. He alone could provide the required perfect and spotless sacrifice for the redemption of humanity. Jesus did not cling to His rights nor argued regarding the sufferings He will endure for the sins of rebellious creatures like us (Isaiah 53:7). He relinquished the glory of His heavenly existence in order to become a man so He could give off of Himself in serving others. His humility was visible when He was born in cattle shed and he slept in a feeding trough. All His life was spent preparing for the day when He would suffer an agonizing suffering and death on the cross. He did these all willingly and in obedience to the Father’s will. The Lord Jesus Christ could have come in this world as King of this universe yet He came and took the role of a slave. We are always prone to the urge of holding tight to things God has given us. We often say to ourselves when faced with a decision; “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!” We find ourselves excusing our behavior of not following Christ’s example. Jesus made a radical transition in His life so He could show how much He loves us. Our natural bent is to insist in our self-centeredness yet there will be times that God expects us to sacrifice privileges and comforts. If such act becomes difficult for us, we have to look at Christ’s example. If you find yourself resisting His will every time God asks you to adjust to His plans for your life, this is not the attitude that characterizes the life of a follower of God. Confess your disobedience to God and ask the Spirit to help you have the power so you could show the same selfless attitude that Jesus demonstrated.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
