One of my favorite passages
of Scripture seems to come to life more often as the spotlight is put on it by
reading versions of the Bible that aren’t the norm for me. I’d like to share a passage with you. I ask that you read it a couple times and ask
God to let it run around your heart and head.
Then I pray we will apply it.
Read on and be blessed…
1-4 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.
5-8 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.
9-11 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.
Lots of truth can be found in those 11 verses, but there are a couple
things that stand out to me.
The first is fact that we must follow the example of Christ and honor
others. Serve others!
The second is the fact of our salvation.
It is all about Jesus. It is all
because of His sacrifice and being sacrificed.
Praise God for His gift and the ability He gave us to serve others!
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