Happy Thursday! Praise God for a brand new day. A day where His mercies are new. Today we will continue our reading in Philippians chapter 2.

Bible Verse – Philippians 2:5-11NLT

“5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God,he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Reflection

Christ Jesus is of the very essence of God, and in His flesh He embraced humanity. While He was fully God, he became a humble servant, without sin, willing to obey the Father and serve others.

John 1:14 states it perfectly, “So the Word became humanand made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

Additionally, we know that after dying a criminals death for our sins to be forgiven, God the Father elevated Him to a place of honor.

Acts 2:32 states:“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 

Hebrews 1:3-4 states: “³The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. ⁴ This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.”

Sisters and brothers, Christ came and died so that our sins could be forgiven, so that we can be reconciled back to God. He didn’t cling to a title to convince others of who He was. He didn’t follow His own will, but in full obedience followed what the Father called Him to do. To have the same attitude as Christ that the Apostle Paul outlined is one who does not cling to titles for significance, who is willing to follow Christ, surrender their will to His, and declare Jesus Christ as Lord of all.

Personal Reflection Questions to Ponder:

• What title are you clinging to? Are you holding that title for your benefit or are you willing to use it to further the kingdom of God?

• What are you willing to (or need to) give up to follow Christ with your whole heart?

• What has your heart more than your love for obedience to Christ?

• Where is God trying to elevate you to, but you won’t let go of what is holding you back?

If you can, kneel in prayer today and surrender your will (the things you keep holding onto), and declare Jesus Christ as Lord over your life.

Prayer

Father God – Lord Jesus, thank you for coming for us. Thank you for the sacrifice at the cross. Thank you for while we were in sin, you came to be the perfect sacrifice, a fragrant offering so that our sins would be forgiven – remembered no more, that we would be redeemed and reconciled to God. Glory! Lord, there is none like you. Lord, even when the enemy tries to place doubt, you say forgiven and free. Jesus! We thank you for not giving us what we deserve. Lord, Jesus! We simply worship you and praise you. Lord, manifest yourself within us. Lord, teach us to love and pray for others (e.g., people who we know or don’t know). Lord, the only title we are seeking, the only one worthy is daughter or son of the Most High King. Thank you for allowing us to be joint heirs. Lord, have your way. Protect those who are victims and free them from the physical and mental prisons that they are in. Lord, open up doors of employment for those who are seeking employment. Comfort those who are sick and/or grieving. Continue to humble hearts and heal our nation. In Jesus name, amen.

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