Friday, January 28, 2011

Humility with a side of Amoxicillin

A few days ago I had to pick up a prescription, and as the day was freezing, I decided to use the drive through pharmacy. It's just like Burger King, except you have to sign your name on a little paper pad before you get your order. Unfortunately, when the lady passed the pad through the little drawer that sticks out, it fell to the ground. Drugstore lady didn't see this happen, plus drugstore lady was inside behind a window and I, already being outside, tried to retrieve said pad thingy. Unfortunately, the little drawer thing was still extended, making it impossible for me to open my car door.  Drugstore lady finally looked up so I told her the pad thing had dropped, and was about to ask her to retract the drawer thing, when she condescendingly interrupted with, "Well, sweetheart, you are just going to have to get out of your car and get it, now aren't you." And with that she retracted the draw thingy and turned to help an inside customer.

I absolutely love being treated condescendingly, serve it up with a side of disrespect on a day when I have a sick child, and you have a recipe for pure delight! Acting in the joy of the moment, I started daydreaming about parking the car, walking into the store and telling drugstore lady exactly what I thought of her customer service style.  Unfortunately, I was talking out loud and did not stop until my daughter, who was in the back seat, asked me whom I was talking to.

I am full of sin and self. Now, with this scene in mind, contrast my trivial drugstore affront to the passage below.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedience to death-even death on a cross. - Phil. 2:5-8

I'm insulted by a sideways comment, meanwhile the Most Holy God willingly took three giant, unparalleled steps down. One, He gave up glory. Two, He took the form of a man (not to mention He had to dwell among us). Three, He voluntarily died the death of a cursed man, as Jewish tradition held anyone hung on a tree to die, was not just sentenced to death, they were cursed by God (Deut 21:23). Jesus, God incarnate, stared condescension, misunderstanding, and a piercing, the likes of which we will never understand, right in the face and said, "Yes, I will take it all. Hand it to me, so my children can be healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5)

If you leave your house tomorrow, if you interact with any other human tomorrow, you are going to have the chance to be insulted or annoyed. (If you would like to tempt fate, I suggest Wal-Mart.) Right now, why don't you decide which reaction you will choose. Are you going to go with my approach or are you going to choose the "same as that of Christ Jesus?"

In case you are riding the fence on this one, here's some help.

Psalm 18:27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

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