Monday, September 30, 2013
Philippians 2:3-5; 12-13
3 Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had… (NLT)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (NIV)
One of the things that frustrate me when I am in a groove (either working, thinking, etc.) is an interruption or a shift in my plans by someone else. This is where I notice how amazingly sinful and selfish I can be. These are times when someone may need me but I struggle committing to help because of my own agenda. It's an issue that I need to keep in front of Jesus.
However, not everyone has this problem. Paul says that some spend themselves for others because they wish to impress. There is a sense of satisfaction that is won when they are acknowledged for having done something good – another notch on the belt, so to speak.
Neither of these attitudes is good because neither of them reflect Christ. The Son of God's one goal was to please His Father.
We work out…God works in.
If we do our part in striving to be like Christ (the work out: blessing when cursed; loving when hated; giving when it hurts; stopping along the way to help and pray) with our eyes focused on God being pleased with us, God will work in us and give us the desire and the power to do what is honoring Him. He does this because He knows that we are in a fight against ourselves, and this world, to live the life He designed for us. He's more than willing to help if we would only submit, like Christ did, and take on a different attitude. Christ's attitude was not one of obligation or self-gratification. Christ's attitude was love.
Jesus, today I ask Your help to put away selfish thoughts and be more like You. I submit to You, Holy Spirit, and stand on the promise that You will give me the desire and the power to do the Father's will.
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"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." – C.S. Lewis
"The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?' " – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
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