“In your relationships
with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every
name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth,
and every tongue
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.” Philippians
2:5-11
We've all done something
uncomfortable over these last few days when we wrote the check for our taxes,
placed it in the envelope, sealed it and mailed it off to the I.R.S. But it’s
not like we had a choice in the matter.
Jesus had a choice in the
matter of surrendering His exalted position among the Godhead and subjecting Himself
to a horrific death.
It must have also been
very uncomfortable for His Father, God, to have allowed Him to suffer.
No parent is comfortable
seeing his child suffer. Sometimes it is necessary for a parent to inflict some
suffering on his child in the form of punishment. That, too, is uncomfortable.
If it was in my power to
do so, I would spare my children from every painful and uncomfortable
experience. It isn’t.
It was within God’s power
to prevent His Son from discomfort of any sort. It is so hard to imagine that.
But He didn’t spare Him at
all. That is hard to imagine.
Rather than use His power
to save His Son from pain, God was more concerned about your pain and my pain.
Can you imagine that?
Would you sacrifice the comfort and safety of your own child to
spare the child of a stranger?
God did!
It would seem like a very uncomfortable choice, but it was His
idea! Because of your sin and because of my sin God chose the uncomfortable
option of sending Jesus to suffer.
Your world changed because God the Father and God the Son made
uncomfortable decisions.
My world changed because God the Father and God the Son made
uncomfortable decisions.
World-changers live outside their comfort zones.
Our world is in desperate need of change.
God is looking for some who are willing to be uncomfortable for
His cause.
Will you be one!
Will I?
God help us.