Make Your Attitude That of Christ's
Dear Friends,
I always spend a lot of time in reflection at the beginning of the year. It’s helpful for me to review the past year and to set my focus on intentionally growing in certain areas in the coming year. Reflection for its own sake can breed selfishness or pride or self-pity. Instead, God asks us to reflect with Christ in mind. In Philippians 2:5, Paul exhorts the Christ-follower to consider Jesus’ example of humility and obedience as we fashion and fix our own attitude toward the relationships and responsibilities in the coming year.
Christ’s attitude of grace and humility is the ultimate example for us. Nowhere else can we find a picture of perfect surrender and total grace. When Jesus visited a manger in infant form, He began a path to total worldly poverty…poverty of resources and poverty of status in the world. He grew into manhood in an impoverished state. Finally, at the end of His earthly life, He became impoverished of all of life’s most precious gifts…He experienced poverty of friendships when His disciples abandoned Him…He experienced poverty of relationship with His Father when He cried out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”…and He ultimately was impoverished of His very life force – His blood – as He died on our behalf.
Jesus, who was God, laid down both His Godly rights and His human rights out of His grace and out of surrender to His Father’s plan.
When we set goals and make plans for the coming year, are we undertaking that process with Christ’s example in view? Are we laying down our rights and surrendering to our Father’s plan?
I pray that I will make my plans and then lay them down before the Lord with an attitude of surrender and humility. I pray that I will look to Jesus as my example and that I will “take every thought captive to the obedience of Him.” (II Corinthians 10:5) I pray that when I encounter areas of personal poverty, I will remember the example of Christ.
Blessings,
Ron
Ron frequently says more in fewer words than almost anyone I know. Thanks for being a blessing, Ron.
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