⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

⁶ Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

Dear God, reading this passage this morning made me think of the people who are hostile, dismissive, or even just indifferent about Jesus. They might think, “He is the author of a faith that hurts people.” They might think, “Oh, it’s ridiculous to believe in Jesus and the things the Bible says about him.” Or they might think, “Yeah, Jesus was fine. But that’s just not for me.” I guess there’s a fourth category I just thought of that bothers me: “Jesus, you’re my God so you’re going to do what I want you to do.” That bothers me just as much as the others.

But one day, all of us will, in unison, understand exactly who Jesus is. There are some people I dearly love who are in all of these categories. Some are friends. Some are family. Some are our political leaders. It really doesn’t matter except that it is my job to represent you well to everyone. It is my job to teach reverence to you, worship of you, submission to you, and then to learn from you and live by your example. That I will worship you well. That I will try to only impact the world around me through prayer, service, persuasion, and suffering. That I will be gentle and forgiving. That I will be humble and repentant–to you and to those I harm.

Father, I literally do not know what today holds. I have no idea. I don’t know what challenges await me or my wife. I don’t even completely know who I’m going to come across as I move through this day. But what I can control is that I will do everything I know to do to carry your Holy Spirit with me. I will do everything I can to love everyone who comes across my path. I will do everything I can to represent you well. Guide me in every moment. Speak to me through your still, small voice and through loud booming voices, as appropriate. And I want to say a special pray for my wife today. She is speaking at her aunt’s funeral. Give her a hedge of protection. Show her everything you have for her today. Help her to feel your presence and your peace. Let your Holy Spirit flow into and out of her. And for all of the family gathered for this funeral, let it be a time of healing. Use this precious woman’s loss as a time of new beginnings for individuals and relationships.

I offer this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen