March 08, 2004
Knowing Humility
First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to post this!
We serve a humble God. I know that's hard to grasp sometimes. I mean, he's God. I don't think any of us would try and contest him if he said "I rule".
When I was trying to think of an analogy for humility, all I could think of was one quote, from a Disney movie, nonetheless. Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies, mostly because I love the Genie. And something the Genie says kept coming to my head. "PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS, itty bitty living space.
My question is this: What if the Genie had chosen that life? What if he woke up one day and said, "Hey, you know, I think I'd like to be a Genie!" I mean, look what the Genie had to live with:
- Obedience to a Master (no can do kid, i work for senor psychopath now)
- Limitations of his power (uh there are a few addendums, some quid pro quos)
- Less than comfortable living (40,000 years in the cave of wonders ought to chill him out!)
All the Genie ever wanted was to be free. But he had to depend on his master to set him free. And when Aladdin did, the Genie left. Granted he came back for the sequels, but that's not the point.
The point is this. Philippians 2:6-8 says this:
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Jesus chose that life.
- Obedience to Death (even death on a cross)
- Limitations of his divinity (made himself nothing)
- Less than deserved living (did not consider equality with God...humbled himself)
All Jesus wants is our hearts. He wants us to depend on him, and when we come to him, he will never leave us.
So, in keeping with my little "theme", how does that make our God different from the Greco-Roman gods? Have you ever seen a statue of one of the gods? Whenever a god was in their human form, they were the biggest, strongest, and most beautiful beings ever to grace the earth. The people, in order to appease them, build hundreds of temples (for each of them!) and thousands of statues. I doubt humility was something the Olympian gods even understood.
So isn't it good to know that you serve a God who was on your level? A God who's willing to give up all of his glory and honor and omnipotency for a chance to die? I'm sure glad.
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