“So, we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.”
- Colossians 1:28
Our relationship with Christ is vital. It makes sure we can grow it Christ-likeness and keeps us with in the hand of God. Relationship with Him helps us overcome sin and pursue what is right and good. Christ is our savior and the best example for how a human should ever be. We as Christians find our identity in Him and what He has done, so that we are reconciled to God and live in New Life separated from sin and death.
I am afraid though that far too often we can slip into thinking we earned this merit of grace. That God saw in us some level of righteousness or strength that deemed us able to be saved. We may not say it but we can often act like it.
How do we act self-righteously? We act like it when ever treat those who are not Christians, or do not match the Christian lifestyle, as less or wicked. Yes, those who are not followers of Christ are not believing that Christ has saved them but why do we behave like Christ has not died for them? This self-righteousness comes across when we judge, when we speak indignantly, or consider ourselves to be better than the rest. Sometimes it comes across when we are blind to brokenness and believe falsely that our lives are good and perfect as if we do everything right.
That is not Other’s Minded, and that is not Christ.
Christ’s Humility:
Have you every taken a moment to think about how humble Christ was/is?
Like seriously, no one can be humbler than Christ. Why? Because He is God… But Camden, God is great and sovereign, He is above all and all-powerful. True, but Christ laid that down.
“Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
- Philippians 2:6-8
Have you ever taken a moment to ponder that? The beauty of selflessness?
He was/is God. There in the beginning He was, He created by His own words. He placed every star in space and knows exactly how far it is from Earth. He knows every planet in the universe because He spoke it into existence. He formed the constellations for us to connect the dots because He love creativity. Every creature in the oceans, the great deep and unknown, is known by Him. From the Great White Shark to the small Krill, He knows how many there are and what purpose they serve. He created the first cat and dog; He knew then that humanity would love them and need them. He hand cut the Grand Canyon and piled up the rocks to form Mount Everest. He knit you in your mother’s womb, all your being, your personality, quirks, and abnormalities.
That very God became man. He knelt down from his Almighty position for you, for me, for others, for the world. That great and amazing God, shrunk down to our scale. So that same God has now cried for Its mother to nurse It. It has pooped Its diapers and been through puberty. He got splinters and saw dust in His lungs. He has swam, at least presumptively since we only see Him walk on water, but He knows the coolness of getting wet on a summer day. He endured conflict and drama, tried teaching, and discipling a bunch of rowdy high school boys. He ate break and drunk wine.
God was/is so humble, He experienced splinters and pain, for us. Yet we can be so caught up in our righteousness we ignore those who Christ has called us to share His Good News with!
Challenge to us:
When we are not humble enough and mature enough in our faith, we can become quickly self-centered and cling to our own righteousness. In doing so we loose sight of those who still need to hear the Gospel of Christ Jesus. That though once we were dead to our sins, God who created everything deemed it right and just to give us Grace for those who believe in His Son, who died a sinner death for us. What is there to be prideful about? Christ died the work, all He asks is to share the message with others, to love God, to love our neighbors.
The goal is to be Christ Minded, and that means practically to be Other’s Minded.
Everyone is in need of Christ, the Gospel we preach will point them toward Him.
Final Blessing:
When we become other’s minded, we begin to notice what really matters to our faith. We become like that of a servant, ready to go out and invite everyone to our Master’s celebration. What good will the Gospel do if we hold it to ourselves and not allow it to transform others? It would do no good because if we selfishly hold to it than we are abandoning our purpose as Christ followers. Everyone needs the Gospel, and everyone is need of Christ. Daily we must try to focus our attention less on ourselves and more on others. What needs do you see and how can Christ meet that need?
May the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you every step, every breath, and every heart beat or your journey.
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