PHILIPPIANS 2:5-7

 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

TO PONDER:

While at the Chinese New Year celebration the other night, I had to smile. I watched as two young boys came in with their parents and immediately walked (or crawled in the case of the younger brother) to where the toys were at the back of the Church. The older brother, about 3 years old, started playing on the toy piano, while his younger brother made a straight line for the hot car. He was about to grab it when his older brother reached over, grabbed it so his brother couldn't have it. The younger brother, tried to take it off his sibling but the older brother clung to it tightly, turning his body to shield the car, speaking loudly, "No, mine. It's mine." There was no way he was going to surrender it. Not even when dad tried to intervene to stop the brewing commotion!

It's human nature to cling to what we think is ours. We have been so conditioned to think of, assert and claim what is rightfully ours, that like these two brothers, we end up in a stand off, or even a shouting match as we refuse to budge, to yield, to surrender our rights, our privileges, our status, our possessions, our comfort, our space, for the sake of others.

How different a way, Jesus models for us. Instead of clutching and hanging onto his privileges as God, Jesus was willing to set aside what he could rightly claim as his, to surrender, let go, relinquish and empty himself to become a human being, to think of others, to live for others, to serve others, to raise up others.

What are you willing to surrender today, to serve those around you. Will you give up time? Will you leave the comfort of the circle of friends at work to reach out to a colleague who is struggling to fit in, will you look up from your own little world to see the needs of others around you and make life a little easier for them? Jesus did that for you...so you can in turn, do that for others. That's what it means to have the same mindset as Jesus.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, give me the humility and willingness to release, let go and surrender my life to you, so other's may experience and receive your life today. Amen.