As I watch the development of the different situations we presently find ourselves in, there are still questions left hanging in the air such as what will church look like going forward? There is a new vocab such as moving to “a new normal”. I was wondering where was God amongst all this change, where is He in my new normal? To which God quietly reminded me, “I don’t change and neither does what I require of you”. Humanity has been on a faith journey for thousands of years and God has not changed. So as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ what will church look like is not just about turning up to a place on a Sunday. It is about being part of a community whose leader and role model is Jesus, so what would Jesus do?
I began to think, how then do I respond to my present situation? Then the Holy Spirit brought me back to Philippians 2:3-11. This is what Jesus did do!
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 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 the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:3-11)
This passage reminds me as the spiritual leader of my home I am called as Christ was to be a servant to all: my family, my church, my employer and my community. So, for me the question is not how I respond to a current issue, but how do I serve those around me as Christ did? Where can I be of service and how can I be of service? Where can I truly role model the character of Jesus in my situation, for it has been spoken many times that it is better to see a sermon in action than just hear one.
I have found if you look around there are plenty of opportunities to serve, in fact that is the simple part. Finding opportunities and serving is not difficult until I started to look at my heart attitude and the other key point in this passage which is to operate in humility. Then things become a little more challenging in Philippians 2 verse 3 and 8, which focus on right attitude and humility.
v3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
v8 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.
I believe as men this gives a strong prophetic key as to how to negotiate our immediate future as a servant to others.
It is all ably summed up by the Old Testament Prophet in Micah 6:8:
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Blessings
Paul Monahan