One of the great questions we each get to answer multiple times every day is whether we will choose to be selfish or a servant. Life at home, at school, at work, at church and in our neighborhoods throws that choice at us relentlessly, and our response will have a profound impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. Paul explains how we can make the better choice in Philippians 2:1-8:
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!
A long time ago, someone much wiser than me told me, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care ... and people can’t know how much we care until we take time to share ourselves and our lives with them.”
Throughout the years, I have been blown away by the selflessness of others. From people like my friend Andrew, who helps me with my car, to our family friend Barb, who cares for and watched our dog when we’re gone, to our friends and mentors in our small group who stand in the gap with us … it never gets old thinking about and reflecting on those in my life who have changed so much in my life by the way they have loved and served me with true selflessness.
In the book of Philippians, the writer Paul talks so vividly and clearly about the heart behind serving. God created us to live a life of service, stepping into the selfless way rather than embracing a life of selfishness. So what should we do about that? What if this week we consciously took time to reflect on ways that we can live outside ourselves and pray and ask God to show us where they are? Not for the purpose of self-glorification, but for the purpose of walking in obedience to God and living in the way of Jesus. Let’s follow Jesus in His example and let’s pray that through these steps that He reveals more of His heart to us. Then, let’s step into the opportunities in front of us, because day in and day out there are many!
— The Rev. Josh Keller is co-pastor at Cornerstone Church in Litchfield.
