Playing God
Do we seek equality with God?
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Philippians 2:1-11
While Jesus was equal to God, he chose to humble himself and be obedient.
Why would he do that?
Why not let the world know you are God incarnate, the creator of all? Why not have everyone bow down before you and praise you?
Why would Jesus give us an example of one so subservient, when he could have chosen to reign supreme?
I wonder if the reason God chose to be like us was so we would not try to be like Him.
We see examples all the time of people trying to be godlike, playing God, and we often see this as progress. The more we discover of the secrets of the universe, the more we believe we can postpone death, extend life, even create it.
It is our desire to be God that may have been the main reason God chose to become man.
It is not our right or role to exert power and judgment over others. That is God's domain.
We are here to serve one another, and to show one another love.
Does that mean we should not try to heal the sick and help the lame walk?
Jesus did these things out of love, and he told us we could do the same if we truly love one another and have an ounce of faith.
When we humble ourselves and seek God's help, all things are possible. So, it is not what we seek to do, but why we seek to do them that matters.
If we seek greatness, we will be brought down, but if we seek to serve, we will be raised up.
More to come...