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marbella3 70F
2480 posts
9/7/2019 7:45 am

Last Read:
9/7/2019 10:12 am

Walking Backward

Bible in a Year :

Proverbs 1–2; 1 Corinthians
Rather, [Jesus] made himself nothing.

Philippians 2.7

Philippians 2:1–
I stumbled upon footage from a British newsreel crew who filmed six-year-old Flannery O’Connor on her family farm in 32. Flannery, who would go on to become an acclaimed US writer, caught the crew’s curiosity because she’d taught a chicken to walk backward. Apart from the novelty of the feat, I thought this glimpse of history was a perfect metaphor. Flannery, due to both her literary sensibilities and her spiritual convictions, spent her thirty-nine years definitely walking backward—thinking and writing in a counter-cultural way. Publishers and readers were entirely baffled how her biblical themes ran counter to the religious views they expected.

A life runs counter to the norm is inevitable for those who would truly imitate Jesus. Philippians tells us Jesus, though His “very nature” was God, didn’t move in the predictable ways we would expect (2:6). He didn’t use His power “to his own advantage,” but “rather, he made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant” (vv. 6–7). Christ, the Lord of creation, surrendered to death for the sake of love. He didn’t seize prestige but embraced humility. He didn’t grab power but relinquished control. Jesus, in essence, walked backward—counter to the power-driven ways of the world.

Scripture tells us to do the same (v. 5). Like Jesus, we serve rather than dominate. We move toward humility rather than prominence. We give rather than take. In Jesus’s power, we walk backward.

Reflect & Pray
How has Jesus demonstrated a way of walking backward in the world? Where is God calling you to live out Christ’s humble example?

The only way to healing and goodness, the only way to move forward, is to join Jesus in walking backward.


MrsJoe 76F
17306 posts
9/7/2019 8:38 am

There are times when righteous anger is appropriate, and the actions that go with it,,,,,, but I have often been prone to more retaliatory anger, which is the worldly way. There are times to turn the other cheek and ignore strikes. Sometimes I can do the right thing, but many times I do not.

Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.