[Christ Jesus] emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
Philippians 2:7
When I was about 17, I wrote a book in my head.
It was the story of a boy who loved ants. For hours he'd sit and watch and study delightfully the ants just outside his back door.
One day his father announced that the family was going build an addition onto the house. It was to go right on top of the boy's beloved ant hill. How could a boy possibly give a message to the ants? He decided he must quit being a human and become an ant.
That's a pretty cool story for a 17-year-old, right?! At least that's what I thought until a friend told me another writer had already published a book just like it.
Great idea. Bad timing, huh? (I could have been famous.)
I guess I wasn't original. But neither was the other writer. Jesus had already authored this story two thousand years ago!
The Son of God taking off his robes of light and becoming human is pretty comparable to a human choosing to become an ant. So great was Jesus majesty, and yet he humbled himself. (My story even had the boy be willing to die to get his message across to save his little ants, and of course, that's exactly what Jesus did to save us "ants.")
Philippians 2:5-11 is a powerful Christmas verse. The manger, the stable, and the Son of God in diapers is God truly emptying himself as he is born in human likeness. It is becoming an ant, a humble servant, a slave to our bodies of sin, death, and decay.
Jesus' willingness tells of his love.
Then Paul invites us to do the same thing: "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." How can you empty yourself of yourself and become more like Jesus? That's a good Christmas question.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants to be an ant
(I want to be a little less
and have Him be a good bit more)
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