"Downward Mobility"
At my home church a few Sundays ago our preacher spoke on the topic of "Downward Mobility." It was a timely sermon as it was Easter Sunday and Jesus dying on the cross being the perfect ex
ample of this concept. Maybe it was the utter timeliness of the topic on Easter Sunday, or maybe it was a subconscious realization that I needed to strive more in living like Jesus--or maybe it was both. Either way, this sermon spoke straight to my heart.
What exactly is "Downward Mobility"? Without giving a cut and dry Webster's definition, we should instead look to Jesus as a perfect understanding of the concept. It was he who gave up the glory of heaven to descend upon our world of earthly desires and humanistic nature of consumerism and greed. As speaker Eugene Cho puts it, "He gave up total divinity to be consumed by flesh and bone and to simultaneously assume full humanity." Our King and Savior assumed a simple lifestyle in order to live among us, literally living out the concept of downward mobility.
We live in a fleeting, competitive and modernized world--a world in which this concept is increasingly hard to grasp. Living like Jesus is tough and can be discouraging at times when we feel as though we have failed. We try to love others who have done wrong to us, but the wounds they have left feel too great. We strive to serve the poor but sometimes find ourselves judging those in poverty instead. Actually living out what it means to be a Christian can feel like a daunting, unachievable task at times.
Even still, we must remember one thing: We were made perfect in the image of Jesus. We are all undoubtedly broken, but we are perfect in His Light. He is a redeemer of our lives, a restorer of our purpose. We must remember, "In Him, I am enough." Something I like to see as the "Divine Exchange," you can be found in Christ; everything he has is now yours, and it is yours in abundance. In striving to live a more "downwardly mobile" lifestyle in our current human state, it is important not to get preoccupied in who we are but rather always remember by whom we were made.
You are not just invited to believe in something, you are invited to live out something. You are invited to live through Jesus.
Three expressions of Downward Mobility (A.K.A. living like Jesus):
1. Empowerment. ~Empower yourself, empower others.~
This is exactly what the act of downward mobility means--and it's exactly what Jesus did. Although he came onto this Earth and knew as the Son of God he was capable of much more than we as humans, he washed the feet of his disciples and touched the untouchable. He was the ultimate representation of empowerment in his time on Earth, and remains so for those who have faith in him.
Dig Deeper: Affirmations are key in the empowerment process. Tell people their gifts. Many of us don't realize our gifts until they are spoken to us, or we don't find as much value as we should in the ways we can contribute to this world. Jesus affirmed everyone around him calling him "Beautiful," and "Beloved," and "Child." To him, everyone is worthy because they are His. Perhaps that is one of the greatest affirmations you can give someone, too. The reminder that they are His.
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." [2 Corinthians 12:9]
2. Love. ~Love, and be loved, without boundaries.~
When he was on this earth, Jesus loved people more than imaginably possible. He healed the crippled, fed the poor, redeemed those deemed unworthy. He looked at everyone he saw, and through downward mobility said, "I see you. I believe you have value and worth. Why? Because I made you. You may be broken, but you are perfect in my light." No one is outside of God's redemptive power and grace. Love someone who has wronged you. Some may relate this better with the concept of forgiveness, but to me forgiveness is to love. Love is all-encompassing, all-empowering. In the wise words of Bob Goff, "Love does stuff."
Dig Deeper: Make sure you are using this concept to practice Self-Love. I spoke into this in one of my blog posts, so always be sure you are truly loving yourself. It is the only way you will be able to fully love those around you. Rid your mind and thoughts of cluttered voices telling you that you are anything less than beautiful or worthy. Look into the mirror and instead of counting any blemishes or gray hairs, be kind to yourself and smile knowing you are perfect as you are.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trust, always perseveres. Love never fails." [1 Corinthians 13: 4-8]
3. Servitude. ~Lose yourselves for the sake of the world.~
Jesus served well because He loved. He found value and hope and beauty in every person around Him and through selfless love was able to fully and intentionally serve them. Jesus also served well because He knew who He was. For us to serve well, we must not forget who we are. We must find ourselves in Jesus and find renewal in Him. When we try to give ourselves up on our own, seeking strength and guidance from our own desires, we exhaust ourselves and cannot serve others fully. We must remember we are His, and in Him, all things are possible.
Dig Deeper: disciples.In no way am I telling you the only way to be a good person is to go and feed the homeless three times a week or not allow yourself gifts at Christmas. Jesus doesn't give a formula for what he does--he just does it. He asks us to be his hands and feet, his When we stop worrying about how we look to others when picking up sidewalk trash or if it makes us "good Christians" to visit the homeless shelter, we are in turn remembering who we are and whose we are. Try sending a handwritten letter to a loved one letting them know their value and worth, or make time for random coffee dates with a friend to simply catch up. Jesus not only made miracles happen, he spent time with people.
“If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides.” [1 Peter 4:11]
So, as you are getting out of bed each morning or starting your morning Yoga practice by setting an intention for the day, remember this: We aren't just PR people for Jesus. We need to actually live as Jesus lived.
xx
Mackenzie
