The Next Best Thing!

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." Philippians 2:5-7

Jesus was God and He know that in the flesh, equality with God was something we could not achieve. In response, He chose the next best thing...He become a servant. In order to be a servant, He had to make Himself nothing. Other translations of the original Greek, state that Jesus "emptied Himself."

If He emptied Himself, what did He let go of? The answer is obvious and profound. He emptied Himself of the power and majesty of God. Literally, He made himself nothing. He openly chose to be a nobody so that He could serve. He freely gave up all that would attract prestige, influence, wealth, and security so that He could serve. He chose to serve because in the flesh He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.

Jesus took the nature of a servant and was found in human likeness. This is God incarnate. I like chili con-carne. That is chili made with meat and no beans. The crudeness of the illustration doesn't hinder the reality of the teaching. The root of the words are the same..."carne" and "incarnate." Both words are talking about meat or the flesh. Jesus was God in the flesh. He also realized the inability to defeat sin and the flesh without the servant attitude required. So, He was found, discovered, realized, and experienced in human likeness.

The writer of Philippians was the Apostle Paul, He writes, "Our attitudes should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." We are also found and experienced in the flesh...we live in the "con carne" state. In addition, we should never consider equality with God. So, the next best choice is to take on the very nature of a servant and follow in Christ's example. In other words, a Christ-follower's attitude should be to fulfill the needs of others. I wonder how many of us are doing that?

"Dear Lord, help me to follow your example and have a servant attitude. Forgive me for my unbelief and my lack of faith. Please give me eyes that see, ears that hear, and hands that serve the needs of others. I need your help in emptying myself of pride, bias, and selfish desire so that I may be filled with you. You know I love you and desire to serve you in all I do. In Jesus Name, Amen."

Thanks for reading and you know I love ya, Don