Consider Not Yourself

Philippians 2:1-4  The Message  If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Philippians 2:3  NKJV  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 

Yeah, Wow.  So, in sitting down today with this, I had on my heart the concept of preferring others.  I did a search on the terms "bible considering self above others".  First result, Philippians 2:3 - "in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself".  <PAUSE>  And there it is....

I was particularly drawn by The Message version of that section of scripture which starts out with "If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life".  So HEY, if you've been paying attention at all, then do this one thing.  Kinda like when the Bible says the word "Therefore", you should go ahead and find out what it is there for.  Only this is taking it times four with the four different phrases - ending in "if you care".

Next it says "Agree with one another".  So how many have said, "We're just going to have to agree to disagree with one another on that".  Is that biblical?  I said it just this morning, thinking I was all so high and mighty.  Guess what??  I was wrong.

Esteem others better than yourself.  Prefer others.  I've heard the argument, "Well, brother, I'm just not going to be a doormat for somebody else.  I gotta look out for myself."  I say this - When you are KINGDOM minded, you see others as God sees them.  You see His plans for them and joy and peace take over (peace that passes all understanding, btw, as others are going, "HUH!?!?") and you start preferring them and helping them to achieve their God given plan.  As you are doing that, before long you'll notice you are doing God's plan for your life as well. 

I determine to continue in Kingdom mindedness in more and more areas.  What does the Word say about everything.  I'm working on preferring others and that's that.