As a high school student, being raised in the church and trying to make my faith my own, I had a moment of desperation one night. The idea that I will NEVER be like Jesus and I will always fail, fell over me like a wet blanket. And I thought, “What a crock. This whole Christian thing sets you up to be a failure.” I was crying because I was devastated about this “truth” that just hit me.
I landed on a half-truth; I WILL never be like Jesus. But I came to realize something as I continued going to church and learning more about WHO Jesus was. We, as Christians, are meant to follow the example of Jesus. As a high school student, the example I thought I needed to follow was how Jesus had never sinned. He was perfect. Infallible.
So of course, I should be too, right? That’s a lot to put on a young girl.
Philippians 2:5-7 shows us that Jesus, although in the form of God, did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped. But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Yes, we are to follow Jesus’ example. Not that of a sinless life, but a life that leads with the heart of a servant. Although this is not always an easy task, it is the piece of truth I missed as a teenager.
How are you leading with a servant’s heart? Ask the Lord to reveal who He wants you to serve today.
Kim Freels
Digital Media Specialist