“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others”.
~ Philippians 2:3-4
One of the hardest lessons we learn in life is realizing that self-focus is most generally sin. Many worldly self-help philosophies consider selfishness a virtue. They promote thoughts such as, “You have to take care of yourself first before you can help others”.
Well...while there is some wisdom in this, especially when speaking of our health, some people act as though this is a universal way of living that applies to every aspect of life. That is until they find themselves needing the help of others.
We were never intended to live independently of others. We are
(by design) called to live in community. In reality we are interdependent and none of us can truly survive long without the help of each other. Consider how many people it takes working together just to help you have the cup of coffee your drinking right now. If you consider it all ... you will find it to be hundreds. So, in the letter to the Philippians we are reminded, “in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others”. The truth between the tensions here is that thinking of others first is in your best interest! Serving one another is an amazing way to put aside our self-centeredness and notice how we are connected, even indebted, to others. When we begin to see with different eyes, it changes our own sense of entitlement. None of us became the people we are alone, but by the sacrifice and care of others from our earliest years. Serving others not only reveals the bonds between us... it reflects the love of God!
When we are mindful of service to us, and when we serve others, we experience God’s grace. In our “me-first” culture, God calls us to put others first. What a call, what a challenge!
How are you humbly serving in your community?
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity”! ~ Psalm 133:1
Pastor Lois Bartley
First United Methodist Church of Tonkawa
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