God of wonderful blessings, surprise this dear reader with exactly what they need in this day; in Christ Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Philippians 2: 1-11: 1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I believe all folks at one time or another find someone they want to be like and for a while imitate that other person's life. In the case of boys, they want to be just like dad; in the case of girls they want to be like mom. In my case I did want to be like my dad and grow up to be a milkman. His was the best job in the world as far as I knew and I wanted that for myself. At the age of 9 I started working in a small grocery store and I still knew, perhaps ever more so, that being a milkman was the best job in the world. Have you ever imitated Christ or Christ's attributes and attitudes towards life? Paul says we should and lists love, tenderness, compassion, having the same spirit and purpose in ourselves as would Christ. Christ humbled himself before God and the job God had given Him and so should we. Paul knew Jesus and said that He had "made Himself nothing...a servant...He humbled Himself and became obedient to death." As a result of that God glorified Him and gave him "the name that is above every name." A name so precious and powerful that one day just hearing that name will make everyone bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
How far down that road are you? Are you living like Jesus? Are you trying to model your life in a way that invites others to be just like Him? The more we do so the more we shall get closer to that glorious day of every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
PRAYER: Lord, let this be the day in which I begin imitating You and living like You. Let me thoughts, heart, spirit be all about serving and glorifying You and being Your servant with all people. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
