1 Peter 5:5-7 Wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you.

To follow Christ we must let go of our contemporary “What’s in it for me?” mentality, and embrace the “How can I pour myself out in love for others?” life ethic of the Gospel.

Yes, the Good News of the Gospel is about our Salvation and our eternal life in Christ after death. But, if that were the sum total of the message, it could have simply been handed down on a stone tablet from on high.

But, God did not give us the Gospel on a stone tablet. God poured out God in flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ. The Word became flesh, to not simply hand us down an academic knowledge of God, or a list of rules, but to show us in flesh and blood the way we are to live.

That way is the path of humility, which always seeks to love others, and condemns to death the path of selfish greed and fear. Humility is a prerequisite of true love, and The Way of Christ is paved in it.

Lord Christ, lead me to my cross, and give me the strength and courage to take it up and follow you. Lord God, help me to die to myself, and to serve only you, by following your Son’s example of self-outpouring love. Amen.