Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. . . . Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”         (Philippians 2:3, 5-8)

We live in a society that spends great effort and resources to promote self-esteem. It’s the theme of many talk shows, magazines, articles, books, blogs, speeches, songs, and more. I think it is important to have confidence and even feel good about oneself, but we must keep this in scriptural perspective. When we look at the life of Christ we see a life devoted to humble service and sacrifice, a life that contradicts the modern society-coined phrase self-esteem. Rather, Jesus’ life is a picture of selfless-esteem.

Here is what I mean. Christ was perfect. He had no flaws; He never sinned! He was talked about, ridiculed, scorned to shame. Lies were told about Him to defame His reputation. he was forsaken by friends, unlawfully sentenced, brutally beaten, and then ultimately murdered! But He never sinned!

Through all the false accusations and mental and physical torment, Jesus kept His mind fixed on being a servant rather than the one being served. If anyone had a reason to retaliate in defense, Jesus did. If anyone had the right to flaunt a reputation, it would be the sinless Son of God, but He “made Himself of no reputation.” This example has really helped me when I’ve faced times of ridicule or may be a bit of gossip has been floating around with my name attached to it. Our first reaction to these hurtful experiences in life is to stand up and retaliate in hopes of defending our reputation. But look at what Jesus did. Though He was equal with God, He stooped down to humble Himself, serving in obedience even unto death by a cross.

I’ve learned that true humility is not thinking negatively about ourselves, but it is agreeing with what God says about us. The grace of God will exalt us without inflating us and will humble us without debasing us.

So, if you are suffering because you have been forsaken by friends or someone has told a lie about you that is damaging to your reputation, remember this, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” He will empower us to live a life of selfless-esteem.