Day 227, Year 1

Imitate the Lord’s Humility

Jesus Christ, “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8 NASB)

The word “humble” in today’s verse is tapeinoo in Greek. In the past, Jesus took the form of a human being. Deliberately not shaping Himself into the image of the mighty King who saves the world, He chose to reveal Himself as the servant and prophet of God. Thus, for believers, imitating Jesus’ humility means acknowledging not only our inherent weakness but also identifying with those who are weaker than we are. Yet, this is not an excuse for us to sin, but rather that we should understand the struggles of those who sin. Only by identifying with the weak can we comprehend the heavenly Father’s mercy, and thereby receive more and even share His love with others. When we share God’s mercy, our lives can be transformed. If we who are in the process of maturity do not identify with and understand the weak, the church community will become a closed group, leaving new members feeling out of place in church.

The humility Jesus wants will surely lead us to obedience. The word “obedient” in today’s verse, hupekoos in Greek, also means “habit of giving ear to teachings, as consuming basic food.” It is in listening to God that we find our true uniqueness and our unique place in His kingdom. Contrarily, there is a lie in the world: People have to leave God or religion so as to find their true selves. This is what the Old Testament refers to as turning sinners’ own separate ways. Disobeying God does not lead to self-discovery, but only to a path of loneliness and destruction permitted by God and executed by the devil.

Finally, the third aspect of imitating Jesus’ humility is to submit to His unique call to fulfill God’s unique mission for each of us. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world—this is His unique mission, which no one else can do, for no one else could be crucified and achieve the same redemptive effect of Jesus. In any case, we who are humble and obedient to God will surely live according to His mandate. Yet, we should not assume that every believer is destined to do something great for the Lord. For example, some believers with physical disabilities might be called to receive the Father’s love through service from others, live a life with gratitude, and intercede for those they know. Of course, the ministry of prayer and intercession is something that every believer should actively engage in.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you find any difficulties in understanding and identifying with weak people? If so, how will you solve them?

2) Have you discovered the mission that the heavenly Father has for your life and living it out? What challenges do you need to overcome in it?