He emptied Himself (Phil 2:7). Three profound words. Three words that are complex and multi-layered in meaning. Three words that have spurned countless discussion in seminaries. The more I study these words, the more I need to study them, and appreciate them. In them are the mysterious of the juxtaposition of the exaltation and emptying of God in the person of Jesus Christ. In them, there is the template for spiritual growth, and church growth.
In 1964 Robert Greenleaf became discontent at AT & T, and left it to begin a new venture: the center for applied ethics. The center was propelled into mainstream American culture and management through his essay, “The essentials of servant leadership.” Greenleaf underscores that to become a servant-leader one must first have a natural feeling of wanting to serve first. The litmus test for a servant-leader is whether those being served are growing as people? This management theory was a game changer.
No doubt, Greenleaf was impacted by his Judeo-Christian worldview, and he had the audacity to re-write paradigms of theory. There was no place for the autocrat in the organization. Our Savior was the example par excellence for this characteristic. Think about it: Jesus was very God, yet He was willing to take on flesh in order to serve. He was willing to walk Calvary’s path in order to serve. In His death He served the world.
And now, Paul instructs us to “Have this attitude in yourselves that was in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5). It begins today if you want to…it is hard work, and does not come natural. But, try it. Think about an area in your life that “you claim” and give it to God and become a servant…like Jesus would have done.
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