Empty

 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. – Phillipians 3:10

Paul is writing to the church and communicating his desire to know Christ deeply.

I can be all about the happy things of the kingdom. The good things. The powerful things. The exciting things. But what about the dead things of the kingdom? Paul says “I want to become like him in his death.” What was Christ like in his death? Well, um…….. dead.

1. He was empty. Christ spent his years in communication with the Father. Every breath, every move, every encounter, every conversation was an action of his mission to the Father. Jesus operated at the direction of the Father. He was empty of himself. His last words on the cross; “It is finished.”
2. He was surrendered. After the long night in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gave up. “Not my will but yours.” The final wrestling with God was done. God had won. His son had surrendered.

God, I desire to be empty and surrendered. Well, I like to think that is what I want. Truth is that I spend much of my day filling myself up and running my own life. I again ask that my life would have less of me and more of you. All so that I can become more like you, resulting in your fame. Please win.

[tags]death, Jesus, devotions, journal, church, God[/tags]