Morning Devotional

October  15, 2005
"A Good Race" (Part 15)     
    by Don Emmitte

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Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11 NLT).

Yesterday we looked at the humility of Christ. It should be our position in life. But, what is it? The “humble position”…. What is that position? Have you thought about that? We sometimes have this tainted view of humility. We tend to think it means that we allow people to take advantage of us. It may be that we are weak and defenseless. That’s not the Biblical picture of the humility of Christ.

We see Christ boldly charging into the temple, clearing it of the moneychangers. We hear Christ rebuke the devil and send demons on their way. We hear Jesus defend righteousness and His Father’s plan, even to His closest friends the disciples. Jesus even told his parents that He “had to be about My Father’s business.” Jesus wasn’t weak, yet He was humble. Perhaps humility then, becomes more of a heart position than an action. We know Jesus was humble, and sometimes we actually saw Him assume a humble position, but we know He had to always be humble in His heart, because He never sinned. The Bible tells us to “in humility, consider others better than” ourselves. Jesus surely obeyed this command at all times in His heart and in His actions.

How do you consider yourself compared to others? Do you consider others just as good as you, or even “better” than you? Do you try to view people from the eyes of God or through your own stereotypes and paradigms? What happens when people disappoint you? Are you ready to offer forgiveness? Humility is a large part of our becoming more like Christ. It may, however, be one of the hardest tasks we face. We must surrender ourselves to Christ and let His humility shine through us.

Look for ways today to magnify the needs of others in your service outwardly. I believe that the Bible teaches that the more we give to others, the more we will receive. Jesus said it this way: If you desire to be first, you must be last. If you want to be served, you must be a servant to others. Try that attitude and see if it will not bring you success in your life!