Our Example

Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus is our best example of a servant's attitude. He willingly set Himself aside in complete obedience to God. When I read this, Hebrews 5:8 comes to mind. Jesus "learned obedience from what He suffered." Our goal is to serve God by serving others, regardless of the cost to us or how those around us behave. Even while "eating dirt" we learn we are where God wants us, doing what He wants us to do. As servants, we learn to set ourselves aside as Jesus did.

This passage in Paul's letter has been called the "Kenosis," or Jesus' emptying of Himself. When I read that Jesus "made Himself nothing," it reminds me of what Jesus said to His disciples, "greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Someone once said that means to just set your life aside.

As parents, we are called to set our personal lives aside on a daily basis as we minister to our chldren. We learn to shift our focus from our own problems to those of our sons and daughters. This ability to refocus brings clarity and peace to our lives.

The next time you walk into your child's room, take a minute to ask God to help you focus on his or her needs. Ask Him to give you a servant's heart, an attitude that is "the same as that of Christ Jesus."