How do you juggle confidence and pride? If you feel the first it so easily slips down to the second. Then when you try to overcome that with humility you seem to lose your confidence. Then this third element turns to self doubt. None of this glorifies your Father who gave you talents and abilities.
How did Jesus juggle? Actually quite well.
”Jesus…being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men….” Philippians 2:6-7 (KJV)
This is a difficult idea. Even theologians cannot quite agree on what it is Paul is saying Jesus gave up. But understanding this is important because the phrase right before the part quoted here tells us to have the same outlook Jesus had. So exactly how did Jesus juggle this stuff?
First let’s look at the concept of Jesus and robbery. Was it illegal for Jesus to acknowledge that He was the Son of God? Was it prideful? NO. In fact, it would have been disrespectful to His father to have denied it. So it wasn’t robbery to realize He was equal to God – it was necessary. But you have probably noticed that many translations don’t use the word “robbery” here. Instead they use words like “did not grasp.” Why? Because there is a second aspect to what is going on in Jesus head. He may know he is equal to God but does He need to flaunt it? After all, if you have it – FLAUNT IT! Right? Wrong! Jesus had it but He did not NEED to flaunt it. [How are you doing here? Do you need to flaunt your talents?]