Real Humility

Philippians 2:1-11MSG

"If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think 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.

Because 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."

Real Humility

It is humbling really. Here we are given a second chance in life because our Savior suffered and died in our place. And it's even more humbling that we can get to know Him, be intimate with Him, worship Him and be given the privilege of being invited to a banquet in heaven and serving Him here on earth before we go, so others can get to go as well.

We cannot compare our best day (or our best efforts) with that of Him who knew no sin, who humbled Himself and took our place in death row and paid our death sentence. And if we ever do, then we will always come up short, always. Worse, we negate His suffering and finished work.

So today and everyday all we can do is to be truly thankful and spread the good news to those who are still blinded, just like someone else did for us when we were as self-centered, ignorant, ungrateful, hard-headed and stone-hearted as them just a short time ago.