Does It Feel Like Robbery?

Something hit me when my sister visited. The evening she came to Koriyama, she needed to go over to church and have the missionary there show her Bible School treasurer stuff. The short termer was also there with another girl from the States. The missionary wife was going to take the two girls to a nearby McDonalds just to chat and enjoy western food and invited me to come along. We had no idea how long the treasurer-talk would take. I figured let the three girls go; I'd wait for Joyce. It occurred to me later how easy that was: being with the others would've been a chance I would've jumped at, but because I "wanted every minute with my sister possible", it didn't even look like an option!

(In reality, it did take a long time, but we did get McDonalds stuff afterwards, and Joyce paid for it all!)

Do we want "every bit of Jesus possible" in such a way that nothing else looks attractive? that we can throw them away easily? In following God, what are we willing to "lose" without feeling like we're making a sacrifice?

In college, a Bible doctrines teacher was referring to Phil. 2:5-8 in which Christ "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" and commented the Japanese rendering was closer to the original, about how Christ didn't think his powers as God were something that had to be kept in His grasp but was willing to let go of them and embrace all the limitations of man. He didn't feel He "was being robbed" but let them go willingly, freely.

We can deny ourselves things out of stoic Christian duty and a sense of loyalty to the One Who gave His life for us...but as long as we "think it robbery" or look on it as SACRIFICE, we're falling far short of the real blessing God intended!