If you’re doing a pumpkin carving, the first job is to cut off the ‘lid’ and scoop out the inners. I came across this idea by Sharon Ely on how to use the scooping as a reflection.
As you empty your pumpkin, reflect on Jesus who emptied himself by being human. This is also translated as ‘gave up everything‘, ‘made himself nothing‘, ‘gave up His divine privileges‘, ‘gave up all that He had‘.
You might like to use these phrases as you reflect how our attitude can be the same as Jesus’.
What might it mean to empty myself today?
Here is Philippians 2:1-11 from the Good News Translation:
Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:
He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God. Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross. For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. And so, in honour of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.