Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Lessons from Philipians

I have been thinking about a passage in Philippians lately. When I read Phil. 2:5-8 I was struck by verse 7. The passage is about the attitude of Jesus Christ. Here is the passage
" Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness."

Reading these verses, I was struck with the phrase ; "taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." To be human is to be a servant, by nature. I am a servant, created for God's purposes. This runs counter to much of what is talked about and praised in our culture. Certainly the only servant one aspires to be is the Cinderella Servant: serving only through injustice and soon to be rescued and elevated.
However, Philippians teaches that being a servant is our nature and God in the flesh took on that servant nature. God in the flesh served the whole of humankind; He served me. Being a servant was not His nature, but He took it on. He achieved all He set out to accomplish, as a servant. So, if being a servant is my nature, it will be much easier for me to realize my true nature. With the power of God, I will strive to become a servant. Great expectations.