Waiving One’s Rights

2:5-7 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

The whole world is talking about rights. "Stand up for your rights!" "I have a right to do this!" "You’re infringing on my rights!" We hear it all the time. Our society is so selfish. Christ calls us to have a different mindset altogether. He says to give up your rights. He says to say no to yourself. He says to lose your life. The one who willingly loses his life will save it. The one who dies will live. The one who pours out his life will be filled up to overflowing. This is the great lesson of the life of Jesus. This is the strange strategy of God. You win by voluntarily losing. You attain glory by accepting suffering. You get resurrected by submitting to death on a cross. It doesn’t happen by being forced into suffering. It happens when we willingly suffer, when we give up our “right” to comfort, security and fair treatment.

Jesus did not claim His prerogatives, He didn’t assert His rights. He willingly let it all go, He poured Himself out, He laid down His life. He relinquished His stature as God and came to us as a man. And not just a man, but "one despised and rejected by men." The most loveable one that ever existed willingly became the most hated one.

And what was the result? "For this reason... God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (v.9-11)

The same will happen to us. To the degree that we humble ourselves, we will be exalted. To the degree we put ourselves last, we shall be made first. To the degree that we embrace the sufferings of Christ, we shall obtain His glory.

"Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time." (1Peter 5:6)

Father, forgive me for my great pride. Forgive me for how I so incessantly try to gain praise and exaltation from men. The impulse in my soul to glorify myself is immense. In light of the way that Christ emptied Himself for me, I am ashamed of how my life contradicts His. Have mercy on my soul! Fill me with Your mighty Spirit. Teach me to humble myself. Teach me to put myself last instead of first. Teach me to think more highly of others than I do of myself. Help me to really believe that the road to glory goes through the valley of humility. Help me to pursue not my goals but Yours. May my life be a shining reflection of the One who gave up His life for His beloved ones.