The Road to Honor Is Paved With Humility

Philippians 2:3-11 tells us that we are to be like Christ and;

"3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father."

In this passage, Paul is focusing our attention on Christ as our example! "He humbled Himself". Jesus's focus was not on being honored as God, but on obedience to God the Father. His humility and obedience to the will of the Father led to His exultation. "God highly exalted Him".

Even though Jesus knew that it was the Father's will that He endure the cross, He prayed fervently that He would not have to suffer the agony and humiliation of the cross. It was fervent prayer that got Him to the place where he could say "yet not as I will, but as You will".

We, unlike Jesus, must spend time in the Word of God to know the will of God for us each day. And we, like Jesus, must pray fervently to get to the place where we can say; "yet not as I will, but as Thy will".

1 Peter 5:5,6 tells us that, "...GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time..."

Lord, Let us not embrace pride that puts us in opposition to you, but let us embrace humility that leads to grace and honor. Amen!