Ever have a job you just don’t want to do? With every job I ever had, no matter how much I liked my position, came some particular responsibilities I did not enjoy doing. My stepmother used to say, “It goes with the territory.” I’ve been a receptionist, a secretary to the president, and held jobs as a manager. In each of those jobs, I was still the care-taker of the bathroom facilities. That was never my favorite part about my positions. Looking back on it now, I see the dynamic it played in my position of overseer to other employees. I see how God used that humbling act to keep my pride in check lest my title go to my head and make me think I was better than someone else–which I am not.
In Philippians 2, Paul reminds us to be ever-mindful of letting pride consume us.
“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 bondservant, 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 to death of the cross.” Vs.5-8
There are many times in our lives as Christians, we think a job is demeaning. Some seek jobs with the highest visibility. They want to be the leaders. Others only want to do things that they enjoy, or that will give them recognition. Yet Jesus, by His very actions, showed us we are to be servants. Jesus was God incarnate. He left His throne in Heaven and never acted as though He was to be worshipped or honored. He simply went about doing good for others. He gave all glory for all He did to the Father in heaven. He touched the lepers, talked with women of ill-repute, and laid hands on the blind and crippled. He even washed His disciples feet.
All too often we find ourselves balking at the mundane tasks God lays out before us. We may not want to go here or there, to do this or that. We may not want to talk to this one or that one, to sit next to this person, or that person. They aren’t dressed like us; they don’t live like we do. They don’t think like us. So we do not reach out. We let the rest of the world do it. We let government take care of them. We harden our hearts. Perhaps every now and then we should ask ourselves, “What if Jesus thought that way of me?”
© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2009
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Thank You! Thank You! This is so encouraging, its so real like the message was directed to me. Now i feel so humbled and encouraged. God Bless!!