Philippians 2
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”
who made himself nothing…
taking the very nature of a servant…
he humbled himself…
On a daily basis, how many of my thoughts, words, and actions are centered around myself?
Honestly, far too many.
Do I consider others better than myself?
Eh…
Do I have the same attitude as Christ Jesus? “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing.”
Do I prefer other people to msyelf?
Preferring others is so counter intuitive. Considering others more important to myself isn’t my first thought.
How much of your day is centered around yourself? How much of your day is centered around God? How much of your day is centered around others? I’m not trying to be a jerk or accuse anyone of being selfish. Rather I want to challenge myself and others to love and prefer other people, to humble ourselves, and love others. Not to dedicate a number of hours a day or a checklist, but to have an attitude that is that of Christ Jesus. An attitude of preferring and loving others.
I have to ask God to help me love others, and increase my capacity to love, cause it ain’t always easy.
In fact, Mother Theresa defined love as this:
“Giving until it hurts.”
So it may not be easy, may not feel good all the time, and will stretch you to places you haven’t been yet, but humbling ourselves and considering others before ourselves is our call. It is not a burden, but an excellent privilege. It is by the grace of God that we are able to love and bring life to others. It is our joy and privilege to have the same attitude as Christ!
So as we go through our day today, tomorrow, and so on, let’s have the same attitude as Christ, let’s give til it hurts, let’s prefer others to ourselves and look after the interests of others, and bring life to the people around us! Could be some kind words to that co-worker who bugs you, or doing the dishes for your housemates, or blessing someone in a nice way they won’t expect, or sitting down and actually spending time with somebody who lives in the street, speaking some kind words to them and reminding them of God’s love.
And now I will read back through this as a reader and consider this again for myself.
Who can you love today? Who can you bless? Who can you bring life to on a daily basis? In what ways can you put others before yourself? In what ways can you act and speak and live and move that are the same as Christ?
