Not Too Proud
GOD VALUES HUMILITY BECAUSE HE HUMBLED HIMSELF.
Bible Reading of the Day: Read Philippians 2:5-11.
Verse of the Day: “Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5).
“Colleen!” Sidney’s shout turned every head in the fast-food restaurant where Colleen ate with several of her friends. The differently-abled boy hurried across the restaurant with his arms outstretched.
“Sidney!” Colleen replied, smiling.
Sidney hugged her as if he hadn’t seen her in years; in reality, he’d last seen Colleen four days earlier at the church both of their families attended. Colleen and Sidney talked for a few moments as Sidney’s voice boomed over all the other conversations in the restaurant. Finally, Colleen turned and introduced Sidney to her school friends and explained that he was one of her friends from church.
“I gotta go,” Sidney finally said, in his loud, faltering voice. He held a hand high in the air, which Colleen dutifully slapped in a high five. “See you, Colleen,” he said, as he hurried off to rejoin his parents at the restaurant counter.
“How embarrassing!” said Kerri, one of Colleen’s friends, when Sidney had left.
“Yeah,” added another, “why didn’t you just tell him to get lost?”
“I couldn’t do that,” Colleen answered in a horrified tone. “Sidney is my friend.”
“You’re serious?” Kerri said. “I thought you were just being nice. How can you have him for a friend?”
“What do you mean?” Colleen asked.
“Well,” Kerri answered, “it’s humiliating. He’s different, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. So?” Colleen said.
“I just don’t think you should be that desperate for friends,” Kerri decided.
“Kerri, you’re a Christian,” Colleen told her friend. She looked at one of the other girls. “You are, too, Angela. How can you be too proud to be Sidney’s friend? Is Jesus too proud to be your friend? Didn’t God stoop to our level when he became a man and died for our sins?” She shook her head. “If it takes humility to be Sidney’s friend, then I don’t have a problem with it. Maybe you should try it.”
The girls around the table stared at Colleen. Then Kerri exchanged embarrassed looks with Angela, the other Christian at the table.
“She’s right,” Angela said quietly.
“I know,” Kerri answered. She smiled sheepishly at Colleen. “I hate it when she’s right.”
TO DO: Copy today’s Bible reading onto a sheet of paper. Pass the paper around and allow each family member to circle or underline one word that refers to Christ humbling himself.
TO PRAY: “Help us, Lord, when we’re tempted to think that certain people are beneath our notice. Remind us that you humbled yourself in order to draw us to yourself.”