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 NLT
I heard it on the radio this week… a preacher teaching about how Jesus limited Himself… to enter the world through the womb of a virgin…
How He gave up His divine privileges… didn’t consider equality with God the Father something to cling to… when in fact it was His… legitimately and wholly… yet He chose instead… to be God’s Servant…
Then it struck me… Moses did the same…
Pharaoh’s daughter took him in as a baby…
In Egypt he was considered royalty…
Everything which went with it was his to grasp…
Yet Moses did not want equality with the family of Pharaoh… he humbly embraced his heritage… identified himself with the Hebrew slaves of Pharaoh… (Exodus 2:1-15)
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.
Hebrews 11:24-26 ESV
We too as Jesus’s disciples are called to live a limited life…
Every person is born into the world filled with sinful desires… and a plethora of ways in which to satisfy those desires… however temporary…
The world offers every person all sorts of things to chase after… wealth… fame… leisure… entertainment… relationships… escape through drugs and alcohol… sex…
From rich to poor… we can pour ourselves into the things of the world and their promises to please…
Or we can limit ourselves…
Choose like Jesus… not to cling to what is ours by birth… but to take hold of something better like Moses… looking for a reward not found in this world…
Following Jesus… we are called to let go of all that could be ours in this life… and give our lives to Him and His work…
Instead of choosing what pleases… choose what serves…
Serves God in love… serves others in love…
Laying down our lives… all we could have according to the world… and seeking instead… to be a servant… like Him…
Living… limited…
“…Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. …”
John 15:13 NIV
Consider what in your life could be limited… and set to work for Him and His glory…
What would it take to make it happen…? What keeps you from doing it…?
[Photo by Harry Miller on Unsplash]
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