IN TOUCH DEVOTIONAL 14 APRIL 2024 BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, SUNDAY MESSAGE
In Touch Devotional 14 April 2024 TOPIC: Made Himself Nothing
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:5-8
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.
TODAY’S MESSAGE
What kind of attitude should characterize a follower of Christ? If we take our cues from social media, television, or even small talk in the foyers of our churches, we might be tempted to become brash or even argumentative. After all, we have the sword of the Spirit and should be ready to use it, right?
But this is far from the attitude the apostle Paul encourages Christians to adopt. Rather than throw our weight around or loudly demand that our rights be respected, we are called instead to have the same attitude as Jesus Himself.
The remarkable, world-changing news is that God—our God—tempers the power inherent to His being, and He does this through perfect wisdom and love. Our Savior chose to empty Himself and take on the form of a servant. Jesus could have retained His position, equal to the Father. But instead, He chose to divest Himself of powers, rights, and privileges in order to serve the world. God did this for us. For all humanity and for all creation, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8). Mindful of Christ’s sacrifice, may we seek to emulate Him by serving others selflessly.
Bible in One Year: 1 Kings 3-5
Thought for Today: May we trust God enough to relinquish our will into His loving and capable hands.
Dr. Charles Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life.
