Welcome to Tony DeKoter, principle at Quisqueya Christian School in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, who will share his reflections on the readings from Philippians.
SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:1-11
Jesus Christ was a servant leader. I am a Christian by name and that means I am a Christ follower. And if I say I am a Christ follower, then I must also want to live as He lived. I must develop an attitude of humility as I serve. Jesus Christ did not cling to His rights as God when He came to serve. He came in human form. I must deny myself and continue to follow Him. As I serve Him in my daily living, I will leave the fruits of my labours in His hands because it is He who gives the increase. I will simply work/live for Jesus every day.
Lord, help me to love one another; help me help others to the top; help me put JOY in my life by placing JESUS always first, caring for OTHERS and their needs in second place and caring for myself (YOURSELF) always in last place. Then I truly Your servant I would be.
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
We are pilgrims on a journey, we are trav’lers on the road.
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to god in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.
Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Thanks for the “Servant-Song” Tony, it is a great picture of what this passage is all about. For too long we have stressed the “forgiveness of sins” aspect of Jesus’ death, which has had the affect of keeping sinners sinning… since they will be forgiven. The message of Jesus (which is good news, “gospel”) is about the WAY of humility, sacrifice, servanthood, generosity, compassion, etc. This is the way that God treats us, and this is way that we are to treat one another. We are forgiven not because God has too, because of the “transaction” of the cross, but because God wants to. He is forgiving, and the cross is how He shows it. We are called to take up our cross (whatever that might be) to show that we want to be forgiving, compassionate, merciful, etc.
I will go out on a limb here to say, there can be no forgiveness for those who do not want to be forgiving. There can be no compassion for those who do not want to be compassionate. There can be no “heaven” for those who do not want to live “heavenly” lives. Faith is not believing, it is following!
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for using “grace” to secure my future, without being willing to live that future now. Help me to put feet on my faith, and to imitate the humility You lived. Amen.