The Humility of Christ:
“Adam ate the fruit of his own pride and died, we eat the fruit of Christ’s humility and live.”
Week 10 Day 5
Pray:
Ask God to reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Phil. 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 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. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Reflect:
Consider whose name is currently on everyone’s lips? What celebrity is most famous right now? Answer quickly, because in a moment their name and their fame will be forgotten. Sometimes the famous names become infamous before their lives are complete. Their names become a “byword” even before they pass into death. The ones who die while still famous may have a name and fame that lingers like an echo for a time, but eventually the echo fades. There is a name that is currently on the lips of many as they pray, as they confess, and as they worship. The name of Jesus is famous throughout the world, but only those who follow him find his name consistently on their lips and in their hearts. When all the famous among us are “said and done,” there is a single name that will be on every lip. His name will rise above all the names of the dead and formerly famous. The bowed knee of every person will acknowledge that, in the end, there is a single celebrity. The confessing tongue of every human power player will verbalize the reality that they had no power that was not delegated from above and what they believed about themselves was illusion, or delusion. Look at that beautiful person strut. Watch that talented person perform. Listen to that brilliant person persuade. Are you impressed with that powerful person’s impact? Do you know that they are like dust and their glory is like a fading flower? Do you really “know” that? Does that knowledge impact how you watch, think, speak, believe, and live? Do you rejoice that you know “The Famous One?” Are you able to respect men and women without fearing them? Can you appreciate what God has given them without envying them? Will you close the gap today on time and eternity in your own life? Do now what all will do then. Bow your “heart” to Jesus and put his name on your lips today in prayer, confession, and worship. Say the name of Jesus much today. Speak it to yourself and speak it to others. When he is first on your tongue and your heart, you will be positioned to bless and not merely be impressed by others. You will live to bless and not live trying to impress others. Jesus is the famous one, say so today.
Pray:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the good news today.