Philippians 2:5–11 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

For many years of my ministry, Palm Sunday was Confirmation Day. The students who had completed two years of Catechism Instruction would publicly profess their faith in Jesus as part of the worship service on that day. Many times I used the Epistle Lesson as part of my address to those being confirmed: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

While that was my charge and instruction to many students, I must admit that I can’t do it. I have not had the same attitude as Jesus in my life. I’ve tried. I spent a lot of time studying about Him and sharing the message of who He is and what He has done for us. I have celebrated with those who come to faith and tried to comfort those who have lost loved ones who died with faith in Jesus. I have tried to show acts of acts of kindness to friends and strangers. I have helped build homes with Habitat for Humanity. I have volunteered with lots of organizations. I have worked with Disaster Response teams after tornadoes and hurricanes. I have tried to be a humble servant.

However, my attitude is often very far from that of Jesus. My sin takes over. I get frustrated with those I try to help and become critical of them. I think and act selfishly.  I’m not enough like Jesus.

A song by Chris Tomlin has this refrain:

Nobody loves me like You love me, Jesus
I stand in awe of Your amazing ways
I worship You as long as I am breathing
God, You are faithful and true
Nobody loves me like You

I am not enough like Jesus, so I thank Him that He was Him. He loved us completely. He did the work we needed, the work we could never do in our fallen condition. He humbled Himself to a death on a cross that would pay for all my shortcomings and allow me to be forgiven. That same is true for you.  So even though you and I will fall short of having the attitude of Jesus, in our forgiven condition we have the motivation to keep on trying to have the same attitude He did. I am still working on that in my life each day.