I ain't going to hell wit ya!

     I was recently listening to some a random Christian hip-hop song I had on my ipod while I was fixing supper.  The message of the song seemed pretty good.  It was a song about standing up to the crowd for God and righteous living.  But the tag line in the chorus shocked me.  It said "I ain't going to hell wit ya!"  

     That seems to me to be a common Christian attitude.  I got my ticket to heaven and I am not too concerned if you get your ticket.  I just hope your wickedness doesn't rub off on me.  

     After recently watching the movie "The Nativity Story" my wife and I were talking about the Christmas story and she asked a great question, "Why did God draw shepherds and wise men to see Jesus?"  "What was the symbolism in drawing these diverse groups of people?"  She then had a theory.  "I think it was to show that Christ had come for all people both rich and poor.  

     I then began to ponder what my wife had said.  God did come to the rich and the poor, but he came as a poor man not a rich man.  That is the wonder that we celebrate at Christmas: EMANUEL "God with us."  God lowered himself to become a man and he challenges us to do the same in Philippians 2 with statements such as these: "Don't be selfish."  "Be humble." "Don't look out for only your own interests."  "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position as a slave and was born as a human being."

     I recently wrote about my interaction with a homeless man named Alex in my post "I really am a horrible person!"  Yesterday, I saw Alex again and stopped to give him some food and a winter coat.  I talked with him for a couple of minutes and as I was leaving I saw him crying.  I was reminded of how powerful it is to humble yourself to minister to some one else.  Lest you think I am patting myself on the back, let me remind you I only lower myself for a few minutes when I minister to homeless person, Jesus lowered himself for a lifetime to minister to us.  

     Jesus didn't have the "I ain't going to hell wit ya" attitude.  He had a "I will go through hell so you won't have to" attitude.  How far are we willing to go as Christians so others can know Christ?  What are we willing to sacrifice for them?  Christ was willing to sacrifice everything?