quote from Practical Theolgoy for Women

I read this the other day and felt it was a good word to ponder during this Lenten season.

"Rather than grasping all of his [Jesus'] rights and power as sovereign God, Christ made himself nothing for our sake. It is not that he thought badly of himself. The point is that he did not think of himself at all. He opened his hands and willingly let go of his rights, forgetting about himself completely. He allowed himself to be maligned, spat upon, treated as a bastard, liar, and traitor, and ultimately allowed himself to be murdered...

We are called to willingly give up our rights and welcome sacrifices that accompany being a servant to others. We are not called to think badly of ourselves. People who think badly of themselves are as self-centered as those who think highly of themselves. Instead, we are called not to think of ourselves at all. As our grasp on our perceived rights weakens, our needs fade into the background, and we become little images of Christ--consumed with the needs of others to the forgetfulness of our own."

from Practical theology for Women by Wendy Horger Alsup, p. 87