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Devotions this week are based on Joy in the Journey Week 4: Humility! (WATCH Full Sunday message) Jesus’ attitude led him to lower his altitude. To be humiliated is something done to you. To be humble or to have humility is a choice. Humiliation is an action that someone else does to lower your status in the eyes of others, usually because the perpetrator has some level of low self-confidence and feels the need to lower others to raise himself or herself up. To be humble, is to choose to lower oneself, even though one can rightly claim a position of power or prominence. Jesus was willing to take on the plan of his Father to save mankind. It necessitated an attitude of humility. Which led him to let go of his power and position in heaven to come to earth. Speaking of Jesus, Paul writes: (Philippians 2:6-7) 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Jesus had every right to hold his position in heaven. However, he was more interested in changing the spiritual position of mankind. He did not hold onto his full divine power and go kicking and screaming to earth, but rather realized the salvation of man was more important that clinging to equality with God. So he made himself nothing. He chose humility to come to earth to serve us. The reality of this is profound. Jesus, who in very nature, was and is God chose to take the very nature, the fullness, of a servant. He had no other reason than because of his deep love for you. For all the times we cling to our status, our position, our power and refuse to serve others…he came to serve us. For all the times we seek to humiliate others and allow our pride to overcome our hearts…he chose to be a servant for us. For all the times we see a need and opportunity to serve, but think it’s someone else’s job or “below us” to act…he stepped out of heaven to save us. Jesus knew that we could not change our altitude on our own. We could not overcome the sinful nature of our hearts to join a perfect God in heaven. So he lowered his altitude to come to live and serve among us. Why? Because he knew the only way to change our altitude with God was to have an attitude of humility that was willing to come to earth to serve us. Apply: What strikes you most about Jesus’ choice to take on the nature of a servant for you? Ask the Lord to show you opportunities to serve others today! Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for having an attitude of humility that was willing to step out of heaven to come to this earth to serve us so that we might enjoy peace and a place in heaven. Amen. |