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 Philippians 2:5-11

An old hymn goes, "At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow". We have taken this too much to heart. Everyone must believe what we believe. Everyone must be converted. We have looked down on others and missed the whole point of this ancient hymn and creed of the church found in Philippians.

Here we talk about emptying ourselves. What does it mean to empty ourselves? Does it mean getting our own ego and agenda out of the way? Yes, I think so. Now this doesn't mean I do it perfectly, nor is this another prescription of what to believe. I do think this relates to pondering though. So today this is a walk through a bunch of thoughts.

In St. Benedict's Tool Box by Jane Tomaine she compares the ego to Edging God Out, right out of our lives and leaving no room for the Spirit to work and grow us. This takes some doing on our part. An emptying of ourselves so we leave room for God to be present. To help us wrestle with the questions, like today.

Jesus emptied himself to be the servant of all, even unto death. Now how many of us would volunteer for this type of servanthood? Maybe this is why today's gospel story is so important. Jesus comes as a baby, dependent, relying on parents for love and care. A good parent empties themselves so that all that matters is the child and their needs.

Lullabies when the babe can't stop crying and it appears all needs are met. Feeding and taking the time to stop to do this. Changing them so they don't end up with rashes. Staying up when sickness comes or there is a growth spurt and they can't get enough to eat. A child, babe teaches us patience, self-control, love, and the abundance of it. We serve that child until we are gone.

So today maybe the day to wrestle with this scripture. When do you empty yourself enough to serve others? How does this help you? What are you looking for in this practice? Then name it. Try it each day. How might this lead you to proclaiming the gospel? This is the real good news. It is not only for you, but yours to share as you serve others. Its not in forcing something, it is in the practice. 

Say a day of kindness, then think back on your day at night. When was it at its best? What helped you to empty yourself? When didn't it work? Is there anything you need to ask forgiveness for? You can do this with any of the fruits of the Spirit: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, and love. Each of these will be a practice on emptying yourself to others. You may find the true joy of Christ if you try to live into these. Just try a little, then give thanks for what you have found.