…that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in Heaven, on Earth, and under the earth… (Philippians 2:10)

We’re not real big on kings here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Bowing the knee to anyone sort of sticks in our collective craw. After all, we fought a revolution to chuck the King of England over the side of the boat, and we haven’t missed him much.  We’re an independent, self-sufficient, stand-on-your-own-two-feet kind of people.

But we’re gonna bow—all of us.

Californians will bow.

New Yorkers will bow.

Republicans will bow.

Democrats will bow.

Angels will bow.

Demons will bow.

Your neighbor will bow.

The idiot driver who cut you off will bow.

You, my friend, will bow.

The question of the day is this: How does that make you feel?  Do you

(A) shift uncomfortably at the thought of giving up the last wisps of the illusion of independence,

(B) tremble with joy at the thought of finally kneeling before the king of the universe, or

(C) offer a halfhearted “cool” and go about your business?

Far be it from me to intrude, but may I suggest that if your answer is anything other than (B) you spend some time in conversation with the One to whom you will one day bow?  It might make the whole experience more pleasant.

Just a thought for your Tuesday.

Happy Day, Beloved.

…and gave him the name that is above all names…  (Philippians 2:9b)

We know him by many names.

Jesus Christ

Alpha

Omega

Emmanuel

I Am

Lamb of God

Prince of Peace

Mighty God

Light of the World

The Bright Morning Star

Wonderful Counselor

The Amen

Man of Sorrows

Lion of the Tribe of Judah

The Word

The Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Bread of Life

Living Water

God calls him by another name,

Son.

And here’s something really crazy.  Because of Christ’s sacrifice, do you know what God now calls us?

Yes, you do.

How can that be?  What can that mean?

Something to chew on as you walk through today.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place…  (Philippians 2:9a)

This is deep and profound and utterly beyond me.

The word “Therefore” indicates to me that Jesus was exalted as a result of his obedience to the Father.  Yet he was raised to the position that was already his very nature—the position he gave up when he came to us as a man.  Why could he not simply claim by right that which was his from eternity? 

He could have, of course. 

He chose not to.  

He chose to follow the path of sacrifice and submission.  I am continually amazed, not only by Christ’s power, but by his willingness to restrain that power.  I have no doubt that, if I were in his place (as unlikely an image as you’re ever gonna get), I would not have waited for the Father to exalt me.  I would have exalted myself.

Reason #42 to be glad I’m not God.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:8)

He didn’t have to die—you know that.

He chose to die, for reasons I still can’t fully grasp.  I mean, I understand the basic theological concept of redemption.  He who knew no sin, taking the burden of my sin upon himself, dying in my place to pay the price for that sin and restore my relationship to the Father.  He took the punishment because—and here’s where my brain locks up—he thinks I’m worth it.

I hope he’s right.

I can’t wrap my head around the concept, but I can wrap my heart around it.

That’s enough for now.

Still, the whole thing is just so very not the way I would have done it.

And there you go, folks—reason #37 to be glad I am not God.

Thank you, Lord, that you were willing to pay the price I could never pay.

Thank you, Father, that it did not end with the cross.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:6-7).  

He was perfect.

Complete

He knew everything

Had everything

Was everything

Everything that has ever been was made with the thought of his heart and the breath of his mouth.

But he stepped down from all that into a broken world.  A world of

dirt

and pain

and tears

and blood

and death

for you

for me.

That is the attitude to which we are called, Beloved.  We step into that same world today. We may know

dirt

and pain

and tears

and blood

and death

for them

for Him.

Are you up to the challenge?

Me neither.

Let’s pray for each other today, Beloved.

Happy Wednesday

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)

No pressure here—just have the same attitude as the Lord of the Universe, OK? Got it?

Good

This is your calling, Beloved of Christ.  God wants you to become like him, to be conformed to his image, to see the world through his eyes and love it with his heart.  Tomorrow we will look at what Paul means by an attitude, “The same as that of Christ Jesus.” For today, just consider this: God has called you—commanded you—to be like him.  Not in some cultish “I will be a god myself one day!” sort of way, but in a, “I love you so much that I want to be just like you!” kinda way.

If you provide the want-to, he’ll provide the how-to.

And frankly, if you ask, he’ll even provide the want-to.

He’s pretty awesome that way.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves  (Philippians 2:3).

But they’re not.

Better than you, that is.

Seriously, isn’t it hard to consider others better than yourself when you know the way they live?

The way they speak?

The way they drive?  

Does God really expect you to put…them before your own needs and wants?

Yep

Happy Monday, Beloved.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose  (Philippians 2:1-2).

Does it show?

Does your relationship with Christ have a visible effect on who you are in the world?

Does your fellowship with other believers reflect the fellowship you have with the Holy Spirit?

You know it’s supposed to, right?

Let’s make that the focus of our prayers this morning, as we head out into a day filled with people who are not as easy to love as Jesus is.

Go and love, Beloved of Christ.

Happy Friday.

Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:27)

What will happen to you today?

Oh, you can probably guess a good portion of it, but you can’t be sure, can you?  Laughter, tears, love, anger, pain, joy, indigestion—who knows what the next hours hold?

Better question—How will you conduct yourself today?

Will your laughter be at others…or with them?

Will your tears be for yourself, or for the broken?

Will your love be selfish or selfless?

Will your anger be trivial or righteous?

And what of your pain?

And your joy?

Perhaps we need not elaborate on the indigestion.

Live worthy today, Beloved.

Happy Thursday.

For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

Is it?

Is your purpose, every day, to get closer and closer to Jesus?  To bring him honor and glory with your every breath? To know him, and then know him better?

Do you look to the eventual end of your life as the fulfillment of all your earthly desires?  The great graduation day when you receive all that you have earned, and all that you could never earn?

Oh, Beloved, I hope so.

As for me, well, I still let the mundane cloud my view of eternity far more often than I would like.

I’m going to make this verse my prayer today, with the hope that the power of the Holy Spirit will drive it deep into my soul and make it who I am.

Care to join me?

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.