The Mind of Christ
Writing this devotional has been far tougher than I thought it would be. I've rewritten this more times than I care to admit, always fixating on saying the right thing about Jesus' humility and its implications for us. But this whole time, I should have been practicing what I read in Philippians 2: 5-11. Paul tells us to adopt the attitude of Christ, to cast aside ourselves and serve others' interests before our own. Yet, instead of emptying myself to write the reflection that stuck with me through prayer, I found myself continually writing and erasing every natural thought that came to me while chewing on the text. Even worse, I knew the hypocrisy of my doing so, but still, I struggled to put myself aside—my need to try to be perfect—and write this unimpeded.
How much harder must it have been for Jesus to have emptied himself of his divine privilege and assumed a human form? He is a member of the Trinity, love beyond proportion, yet in service of God the Father and us, he humbled himself to our fallen condition and accepted a criminal's death on the cross. Consider what it would mean for you and me to take up his yolk and act in service of another. What does it mean to serve God?
Heavenly Father, I'm trying to empty myself for you, but I keep failing. I pray that you make me humble. Work in me to make room so that you can work through me. I want to put you first in my life, to be of like mind to you, Lord Jesus. Illuminate the areas of my life where I am hypocritical to that desire. Drag me to the cross with you this Lent so that those parts of me can be crucified.
Strengthen my faith. I know that by emptying myself to you, I will be filled with something far greater, yet still, I hesitate. Why?
Because I'm imperfect.
Because I am fallen.
But you don't care! You surround me with grace nonetheless. Erase my internal lie, that I need to do something worthy of your grace to receive it. Change me so that I might be a vehicle for your will. In your name, I pray.
James Riddell