Leveraging

Philippians: "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NIV)

We live in a world of leveraging - where people use their platforms and their privileges to get places and get things done.

This logic has crept into Christianity. We regularly hear of people "leveraging" their platforms for kingdom advancement. "How can I use the platform that God has given me to plant as many churches as possible?" "How can I use my 'celebrity' to give unchurched people the opportunity to hear about Jesus?"

It does not make sense that the Lord Jesus, who never once leveraged his platform or his privileged position, would now be needing human beings to leverage theirs to get his mission accomplished.

Not one of us decided to follow Jesus because he is famous or because we caught a glimpse of him as commander in chief dressed in the finest military regalia or because his productions were world class.

He became an irresistible magnetic force when we caught a glimpse of him broken and fragile on a cross. His unique attractiveness is rooted in his humility and obedience, in the fact that he never once maneuvered or "worked" his plan. That is why he is so believable and trustworthy.

It is time for us to think about this contrast. It is key to us becoming a collaborative priesthood.

Malcolm du Plessis