Today’s Reading: Philippians Chapter 2
My family attended a church years ago that had a large banner hanging in the foyer that read: “It is not about me.” I imagine that was off-putting for some. For me, I breezed past it too quickly. It wasn’t until some conflict arose in our congregation that the simple truth on the banner came to mind again, but this time as a profound nugget of wisdom. I kept thinking that if we just applied those words to what we said and did, most of the hurtful conflict could’ve been completely avoided.
This Christianity thing truly is not about me. It’s about Jesus.
Now, a pause is necessary here.
Am I valuable because I am made in the image of God? Yes!
Am I deeply loved by the Father? Yes- we all are!
Am I worth dying for? Apparently, because that’s what Jesus did!
Is the entirety of the Bible a retelling of God’s beautiful plan to redeem all creation…including me? Also yes!
So let’s take a moment to embrace all the ways that God has shown us that the gospel is about me to the extent that He loved me enough to die for me. I don’t want you to miss that!
All of Scripture is God-breathed though, not just the parts that make us feel good. All good theology is balanced by considering the entire Bible. And the Love that sacrificed His life for me is the same Love that knows the best way to live this life and wants unity among believers. So we cannot overlook the passages that make us uncomfortable. The passages that call us to “die to self.”
“If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” Galatians 6:3
“He must become greater, I must become less.” John 3:30
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:3
Throughout Church history, the days leading up to Easter have traditionally been set aside as a time of reflection, repentance, and sacrifice. Though it isn’t as common in the Protestant tradition, many people choose to give up something during this time. It could be meat, sugar, social media, chocolate, or any particular offering as a gesture of sacrifice.
But what if…
What if this year for Lent, instead of sugar and social media, we gave up pieces of our pride?
Have you ever heard the term “the old man”? It’s the old nature, the previous inclination to put myself first. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, so much changes, but that old man can still rear his ugly head. The process of crucifying that old nature and becoming more like Jesus can take a lifetime.
And here’s the hardest part about it: we often cannot see these prideful and selfish parts of ourselves! That’s what makes them such a powerful tool of the enemy. How can we give up something that we don’t even realize is there?
That’s what this devotional is about. I’m not offering any particularly insightful perspective or amazing exposition of the Scriptures. I’m simply asking the Lord to make this a mirror, a way that we may all see the parts of ourselves that need to be given up.
What would it look like if every one of us would truly “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others”? What would happen if the entire body of this church found itself in a repentant posture?
Over the next 30 days, we will look at our example in humility, Jesus, as we walk through His life, death, and resurrection together. I’m asking that the Lord prepare our hearts. I pray that He helps me to recognize the pieces of my old nature that I need to give up. With the help of the Holy Spirit, this experiment could have beautiful results.
All glory to God!!