Bringing Ourselves Down to Jesus’s Level

At first, the title seems a little backwards, doesn’t it?  I mean, Jesus is the King above all kings and the Lord above all lords.  Yet, Philippians 2:1-11 shows us that Jesus was exalted to that position because of His unmatchable humility.

 

“and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.”  Philippians 2:8-9

 

Humility defined the life of Jesus. And in Philippians 2, Paul urges us to reflect the same humility in our everyday lives.  This humility was demonstrated not only before God, but also manifest itself before mankind. 

 

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.”

Jesus made himself nothing, so that we could gain everything. 

 

OK.  Here is where I get extremely challenged.  Philippians 2:3  says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”  WHOA! 

 

I don’t know about you, but this challenges my everyday motives in a deep way.  It blows me away to think how Jesus considered you and I ahead of himself.  Ultimately, His humility before God was made evident in His humility towards all of mankind. 

 

Here is the challenge: If we as the Church are to represent the nature and character of Christ, then our humility before God must prove itself in our humility to others.  It is impossible to have one without the other.  

 

And here is why this is so beautiful.  When we receive Jesus, we attain everything we will ever need, want or desire.  We gain everything.  There is nothing His presence in our lives cannot satisfy. 

 

Therefore, we no longer need live for ourselves and for our own personal gain, but now we are free to think about others, we are now able to serve others and put others ahead of our self!

 

Jesus humbled himself to nothing so that we could gain everything. 

Let us do the same for others.