Jesus and the Inverted Bell Curve Attitude

Jesus and the Inverted Bell Curve Attitude is a simple thought reflection for New Year’s Day from Philippians 2:5-11.

January 1, 2016 Year C (New Years Day)

Philippians 2:5-11

In math, I learned about the bell curve. The bell curve rises to a point and then comes back down. One could plot a graph that showed the normal distribution for a population. In my case, you could plot the grades for a test in school. One could use this bell curve for other populations as well. It is called a normal distribution bell curve.

In this passage, we have what I would like to call an inverted bell curve. An inverted bell curve actually exists, but I like to apply this to Jesus. In a normal bell curve, the line starts at zero, then rise to a point and then falls back to zero. In an inverted bell curve, the line starts at a high point. The line goes down and then comes back up.

This is how Jesus viewed and lived His life. He lived it with an inverted bell curve attitude (Philippians 2:5). He existed as God and was equal with God (Philippians 2:6). Now Jesus could have easily used His divinity to His advantage. Instead, He chose to live life out on Earth like the people He created. He “emptied” Himself of His divine privilege (Philippians 2:7). The line in His life went lower to the point of zero – death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

At this point, the line in Jesus’ inverted bell curve starts to turn upward. God exalted Jesus by raising from the dead (Philippians 2:9-11).

Now Jesus could have easily skipped the cross and gone straight to having the world bow before Him. Instead, He kept an attitude of humility – an inverted bell curve attitude – in order to fulfill God’s plan.

In life, we have to learn to be humble. We have to have an inverted bell curve attitude. God will raise us up. But until then, God wants to use me. I need to make myself have the same inverted bell curve attitude as Jesus (Philippians 2:5). That takes making myself humble so that I am ready when God wants to use me.

Prayer: God, help me make my attitude an inverse bell curve attitude. Help me to be ready to do what You want me to do.