Spiritual Ponderings

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus... (Philippians 2:5 NRSV) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself , taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name... (Philippians 2:5-9) Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame , and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame , because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his...

“Not my will, but your will be done.” I am starting to perceive dimly that there are two ways of viewing these words. One of them I am very familiar with. That perception is a result of how I was taught to relate to God most of my life. It reflects an attitude of forced submission, of relinquishing my will by a painful releasing of my own desires and pleasures and sinking into a dark feeling of defeat as God once again gets His way instead of me being allowed to feel good and getting my way. But what suddenly flickered past my emotional screen a few minutes ago when I said something similar to this as I prayed was something quite different than the dark feelings I have always experienced whenever I heard these kinds of statements in the past. It was a notion that this might well be what would be heard coming from the mouth of a person madly in love with someone else. It could come out of a heart overflowing with affection, adoration, even mushy 'puppy-love sickness' as we m...