Mind of Christ: Ep 2: Serve Without Status — Humility Lessons from Jesus

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Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast with your host,

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Connie Morris, where healing has a voice and truth is no longer silent.

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Father God, like Jabez, we cry out that thou would bless us indeed.

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Bless every woman listening beyond trauma, beyond limits, beyond what she thought

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was possible. Enlarge her territory.

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Expand her purpose. Let your hand be upon this moment.

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Saturate every word with oil and truth. break cycles, cancel every curse sent

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to silence her. This isn't just a podcast.

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This is holy ground. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Hello, and welcome back to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.

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I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we're continuing with our Faith on the Go series.

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We have learned that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

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That's why this space was created for your quiet moments, your work days,

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your communes, and those in-between places where your faith needs a refill.

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Faith on the go is for times when you're fighting battles not yet won,

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but already finished in Christ.

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It's for those who keep believing, those that keep pressing in and keep walking,

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even when the road gets long.

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So whatever you are today, wherever you are today, settle in and let the word

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of God strengthen your faith.

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Today we're going to cover a day two, a mind of humility, servanthood over status.

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Key scripture today is found in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 7,

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and it reads, in your relationship with one another,

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have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in the same nature of God,

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did not consider himself equal with God, but something to be used to his own advantage.

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Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.

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Let's see this through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus, the son of God,

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the creator of heaven and earth, chose to walk among us, not as a king demanding

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honor, but as a servant demonstrating love.

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He never entered a room trying to be noticed. He entered to notice others.

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Let's take a check here. We as women love to be seen, am I right?

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But how about if we begin to notice other?

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How can we switch this humility into the mind of Christ when we're putting it

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into practical relationships?

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Humility wasn't something he practiced occasionally. It was his posture.

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He could calm seas and command legions of angels, yet he bent down to wash dusty feet.

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On the night before his crucifixion, knowing full well that all power had been

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given to him, he rose from supper, removed his robe.

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Poured water into a basin, and began to wash his disciples' feet.

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John 13, 3-5. The king stooped low.

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The master served those who would later abandoned him.

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Even Judas, who would betray him, felt the touch of that towel.

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Afterwards, Jesus said, I have set you an example that you should do as I have

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done for you, John 13, 15.

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Humility wasn't weakness. It was strength under submission.

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He didn't lose his power by luring himself. He revealed himself.

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Commentary. True humility begins in the mind before it's seen in action.

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When Paul wrote, let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus,

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he was describing more than an attitude.

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He was describing alignment.

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Jesus emptied himself. He laid aside reputation without losing identity.

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He never forgot who he was.

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He just chose to love more than he needed to be recognized.

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Humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less.

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It's the quiet strength that allows you to serve without applause and love without limits.

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It's what makes you approachable, teachable, and usable by God.

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Luke 14, 11 reads, for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,

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and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

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Humanity opens heaven's favor because it closes the door to pride.

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When you humble yourself before God, you give him permission to lift you higher

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than self-effort ever could.

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Jesus never sought to impress. He sought to impact. I like to say he sought to leave an impact.

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He carried authority wrapped in gentleness and greatness wrapped in grace.

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So ask yourself here on this reflection questions here, do I seek recognition

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more than relationship?

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Can I serve even when unseen, when I'm unseen and unthankful?

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Am I willing to bend low so that Christ can shine high?

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Remember the same anointed Jesus, the same God that who anointed Jesus to serve

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has anointed you to do the same.

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Remember the same power that's in Jesus is in us.

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Can you do this?

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Let's walk it out like Jesus.

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Serve without status. Look for one simple act of service today,

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something that benefits others more than it benefits you.

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John 13, 14-15 Stay teachable.

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Jesus learned obedience and wisdom as he grew.

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Luke 2, 52 Stay open to correction and growth, even from unlikely voices.

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Guard your heart against comparison. Jesus didn't compete with John or the Pharisees.

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He stayed in his lane and fulfilled his call.

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John 5, verses 41 through 44.

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Number four, celebrate others' success. Rejoice when others are honored.

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Improve your humility and your security in Christ.

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Romans 12, 10. And finally, Romans, not finally, but number five. Remember the cross.

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The greatest display of humility was Jesus choosing suffering over self-preservation.

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Matthew 26, 53 through 54. The crown came only after the cross.

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Let's take a pause and let's kind of review some of these things. Walking out like Jesus.

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How do you serve without status? You know the people who every time they do

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something, and they got to report it to the boss, make a big display about it.

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Oh, that was me. And it wasn't for you.

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Do you do that for you or for others? Remember, Bible says you had your reward.

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When you give yourself praise and you make a big deal about it,

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even when it was for somebody else, that's your reward. You got the attention you wanted.

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That's in Matthew 6. It says, stay teachable.

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Jesus learned obedience and wisdom as he grew. So we see here that teachable is a process.

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You don't get it all at one time. You have to stay in obedience.

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You have to learn in wisdom. It's gradually, just as Jesus learned it gradually.

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And it says here, stay open to correction and growth, even from unlikely voices.

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God would use the most unlikely voices to humble you.

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And it's always seemed to be, we always say it's our enemy, but we do not wrestle

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against flesh and blood.

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It's just you expose yourself and God is going to close it up so that you can

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stay in your spot and not have to bow down to the enemy, right?

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So when he exposes you and you're fighting with flesh, stop it.

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Fix it. Humble yourself and say, Lord, what did I do to deserve this? Did I open any doors?

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You know, and then that's the unlikely voice. that's helping make you strong.

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Guard your heart against the comparison. We have that so bad.

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Since social media has been out, we're looking at these people and we're thinking

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that they have more than what you have.

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So you started comparing apples to potatoes.

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In reality, you don't know if what they're showing you is true.

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It's a good skit, it's a good movie, it's a good whatever it is,

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but we don't know what's going on behind those closed doors.

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And so comparison is not your goal.

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You should be able to walk in your lane and fulfill what God has called you to do.

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And you might not like what he's called you to do, but I'm telling you,

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if you stay in your place, stay in your lane, you will see the fruit of where he's taking you.

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Celebrate others. Honor them. We have a thing at our work where you can put

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someone's name in a box and they get a little certificate, well,

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not a little certificate, they get a certificate and a cash card just for being chosen.

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I think that's awesome, right? So you get to have a voice in this.

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And remember the cross, the greatest display of humility was Jesus choosing

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suffering over self-preservation.

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The crown came after the cross. Jesus was a great example on how to be humble.

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But walk in that reserve power that he could break away anytime he wanted to.

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But he says, no, I'm going to endure this to the end. That teaches us that we can too.

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Because in the end, he received the crown. Remember, we are royalty.

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We're king priestly. We're from the priestly zone where we get a crown.

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Only if we stay and not give up. Let's pray.

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Father, thank you for sending Jesus to show me that humility is not weakness.

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It's divine strength under control.

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Teach me to serve without seeking recognition, to listen before I speak,

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and to honor those as you have honored me.

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Strip away any pride or self-importance that block your grace in my life.

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Make me a vessel of quiet strength and pure love, reflecting your son in everything I do.

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Pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

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To create, I have the mind of Christ. I walk in humility and serve in love.

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I don't seek titles or recognition.

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I seek to reflect Jesus.

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Every act of service opens the door of divine favor. As I bow low, God lifts me high.

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I'm going to leave you with this. Where can you demonstrate Christ-like humility

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today? In your home, in your workplace, or your relationship?

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How can you serve with joy even if no one sees it?

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How can you serve with joy even when no one sees it?

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Because we serve to an audience of one. Maybe it's the audience of three,

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right? The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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But we serve to an audience of one. and he said he will reward us.

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It's a reward as we obey, if we diligently seek him.

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We just got to read the small print, folks. You've been listening to Faith on

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the Go with your host, Connie Morris, from the Diary of a Black Woman podcast.

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Thank you so much for listening. And I pray that this word energizes your faith

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and reminds you of God's promises.

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Remember, God will finish what he has started in you.

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And I'll see you on the next episode.

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Thank you for listening to this episode. And before we close out,

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I want to speak a word of promise over you from Jeremiah 29, 11 through 14.

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Father God, you declared, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper

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you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

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So today we receive that truth.

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You said when we call on you, you will listen. So we pray.

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You said that when we seek you with our hearts, you will be found.

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So we pursue. You said you will restore us from captivity.

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So we declare freedom over every place where our listeners feel stuck, silenced, or small.

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Thank you for always drawing near when we show up in faith. In Jesus' name, amen.