Philippians 2:3-4 NLT

“Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

You don't have to teach a two-year-old to say "mine." It comes naturally. And if we're honest, most of us never really outgrew it. We just learned to say it more nicely. We want our way. We want our comfort. We want the credit. But Paul tells the church in Philippi something that cuts against everything in us. Don't be selfish. Don't try to impress people. Think of others as better than yourself. What isn't normal in the world should become normal among those who follow Jesus.

Paul doesn't point us to good advice. He points us to Jesus. Jesus is God, and He didn't use that for His own advantage. He humbled Himself, took the position of a servant, and went all the way to the cross. We spend our lives trying to climb up. Jesus spent His life coming down. The One who deserved to be served came to serve. Then Paul gives us two men who lived it. Timothy cared about what Jesus cared about. Epaphroditus nearly died serving and was more worried about the folks back home than himself. Paul says he risked his life, and that word means he gambled it all for the work of Christ.

So, this week, ask yourself one simple question. Does the way I treat people reflect the Savior I claim to follow? Look at your marriage. Look at your family. Look at the people you work with. When somebody needs something, is your first thought how inconvenient it's going to be? You can't live this way in your own strength, and you don't have to. God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Let Him change you from the inside out. Prefer others. Live as Christ did.

Just a thought,

PSS