The Emptying That Fills
Not becoming less—but becoming free, so Christ’s life can be fully expressed through us to the world
We spend most of our lives trying to fill what God is trying to empty—
yet He only fills what we allow Him to empty first.
Paul calls us to live from the same mind that was in Christ Jesus:
“Though He was in the form of God, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself…” (Philippians 2:6-7)
Jesus didn’t lose His divinity—He revealed it.
He showed us that the essence of God is self-giving love.
The humility of Jesus wasn’t self-reduction; it was perfect trust—God living through humanity in full color.
The Humility Medal
My fifth-grade Sunday School class gave me a medal for being humble.
They took it away the following week when I wore it.
Humility disappears the second we notice it.
It’s not a moral achievement—it’s the quiet result of proximity.
When we draw near to Abba, our self-importance melts, and love finds room to flow.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
Humility is not thinking less of ourselves; it’s being free enough to think of others first.
The Mind of the Beloved
“Let this mind be in you…” means living with the awareness Jesus carried:
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
He emptied Himself because He knew He could never run empty—He was rooted in His Father’s love.
When we live from belovedness, the self gets out of the way so Christ can live through us.
That’s the true mind of Christ: confident, surrendered, and radiant with love.
The Way of Kenosis
Kenosis (κένωσις): “The self-emptying of Jesus — the voluntary pouring out of Himself in love, so the fullness of God could be revealed through humanity.”
Jesus’ descent—obedient even to the cross—wasn’t defeat; it was revelation.
And the Father exalted Him so that every tongue would confess:
“Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:11)
This is the divine rhythm: Empty, pour, trust, and shine.
Every act of letting go becomes a new way for His life to be seen in ours.
Reflection