Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
Who being in very nature God…humbled Himself.
-Philippians 2:5
Bill Hybels talks about this passage in his book, The Power of a Whisper. Expressing the magnitue of the incarnation, he writes,
When I try to imagine the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God submitting himself to the confines of human flesh, my brain short-circuits.”
It is amazing to think of God willingly demoting Himself to creation when He Himself is the Creator. But He did it and calls us to have the same attitude.
Paul tells us to have the attitude of Christ that embraces humility, servanthood, and suffering on the behalf of others. This is not just the niceties and kindnesses that we don’t mind doing from time to time. It’s not even the things we do that are right but we grumble about because of what we’re giving up, like stopping to help a stranger with car trouble.
What Christ modeled and Paul tells us to imitate is Sermon on the Mount stuff, like loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, and carrying the soldiers cloak another mile. Christ suffered for us, not just on the cross, although that was the pinnacle moment. But he suffered and served and humbled Himself daily to draw all people to Himself.
In the end, all will bow the knee to Him. In the meantime we are to be like Him so that others will be compelled to follow.
Purchase The Power of a Whisper for the Minding the Gap Bookstore!
Related articles
- Why We Need the Mind of Christ – A Journey to Biblical Understanding (gggceo.wordpress.com)
- Live Like Jesus (achristianmeditation.wordpress.com)
- Great Quotes from Day 2 of the Leadership Summit (richardburkey.wordpress.com)
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