By Gary Woodall
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1).
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (II Cor. 8:9).
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Clearly Christ humbled himself out of love. He was already in heaven. He was in the most unfathomably wonderful place possible. He was in the most high position possible. He literally is God along with the Father and Holy Spirit. He voluntarily left all that and became lower than the angels to become as one of us. He did not even come to rule over us, He came to serve us and to seek and save us all. He did that when we were still sinners and rebellious and he came to make a way for us to be reconciled to God.
“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (John 13:13-15).
Jesus humbled himself to leave heaven. He humbled himself to wash the feet of mere humans and serve us lowly, sinful humans – even to the point of dying for us on a cruel cross.
So, since he gave an example for us to do as He did, how are you doing? Do you have a higher opinion of yourself than you ought to? Are there things you are too good to do? People you are too good to serve? Are you a humble servant? Let’s all work to root pride out of our lives and to follow the example of humble service that Jesus taught us.