But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:7-8
I am SO humbled as we approach Easter this coming Sunday. I’m humbled, because, like so many other holidays we rush through, Easter feels like another to-do list full of ALL THE THINGS that have absolutely nothing to do with the true meaning of season we are celebrating. Thanks America! But when I take the time to pause for a moment, in the midst of all the bustle and hubbub, and I really take the time to pray and read and reread this passage of scripture and let it sink in, do you know what stands out the most?
…but made himself of no reputation.
Huh? But what about the cross? That’s the most important thing, right? He died, He was buried and He rose again! That’s the true meaning of Easter!!
Yep! You’re right! It is. The cross and the resurrection are central to Easter. But, for me, this little snippet that we so often overlook is the part God really wanted me to see and understand today.
As I was praying this morning and asking God to direct my path and show me what He wanted me to do, I was brought to tears after a solid 2 minutes of prayer, because, even though my words say “I’ll do anything for you, Lord” and “I want YOU to get the glory.” The truth…the real truth that lies deep down underneath all those words is hideous and so heartbreaking. If I am to be really transparent, the real truth is that I will do anything for God — if it serves me and works around my schedule. And, I will give him the glory for all that He allows me to accomplish, if, when all is said and done, I get a little glory out of it, too. Ouch! Does that ring a bell? I didn’t even realize that was inside of me until I prayed. I didn’t even realize that I was going after any glory or reputation until I read this passage. I didn’t even realize that all my goals and dreams were absolutely not about His glory, until He revealed it to me.
I mean, isn’t that what the world is about nowadays? We crave recognition. For our words, for our singing abilities (eh-hem), for our cute crafts, for our stunning jewelry, for our servant’s heart, for our witty personality; for our godliness, for our fashion savvy, for our amazing child-rearing skills (bwah-hahaha), for our delicious recipes, for our educated and upright political views, for our stunning photographs; for our fabulous relationships, for our incredible date nights and for our clever home organizational tips. We want people to praise who we are and what we’re about and what we’ve accomplished. And it’s now easier than ever before to do. We can take pictures of our work and post them on social media. And we anxiously await the likes and comments. We can talk about our cause on a podcast. We can blog about our passions. We can write a book. We can record videos and put them on YouTube. Now more than ever, we are bombarded with this whole idea of building our reputation and platform — even if we’re not even doing it for a professional cause! And sure, we’ve always had the opportunity to shine and be a star, but now it feels so much more accessible than it used to feel. Now, with the help of the world wide web and social media, you no longer have to be a Pulitzer Prize winner, a talented actor on the big screen, a theologian or an accredited author to create a huge, mega-following — with a few clicks of a button. Because of this, I believe it’s very tempting to fall prey to the notion that we can attain a following by an extremely filtered picture we paint about who we are to the world around us. Instant celebrity! Instant praise!
…but made himself of no reputation.
Jesus. The guy who was the Son of God. He came into this world and performed miracle after miracle. He knew He would die a painful death in our place and give himself as a sacrifice so that we might live, and He, of all people, made himself of “no reputation”??
If that is the case, than who in the world am I to boast of what I’ve accomplished? Who am I to want glory for the things I’ve done and the talents I may possess? Who am I to want praise and accolades?
I’m not saying we shouldn’t work hard and have talents that the world needs to see and hear. I’m not saying we shouldn’t share our voice with the world. But what I am sensing here is a personal nudge. I’m realizing that, for some reason, it is really tempting for me to seek my own reputation and following, and He’s showing me where that leaves me. I struggle here. And I need His guidance in navigating how this all works — for His glory and not my own. And I don’t believe I’m alone in this struggle.
I don’t even know where this leaves me today, but it causes me to think. It causes me to go deeper and find more hidden desires that have masked themselves as purely motivated ones. And it causes me to really dedicate myself to an active and consistent prayer life that seeks Him and His word daily, because the only thing that truly matters is that we’re doing what He wants us to do for no glory of our own.
What are your thoughts? Do you wrestle with this too? How do you wrestle? Would love to hear from you!
xo
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