Choosing Others Over Self

In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul gives us a countercultural command that can be sometimes hard to follow. He tells us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, and to consider others more important than ourselves. In a world that constantly tells us to look out for number one, this is a radical call.

The word Paul uses for "humility" here was not considered a virtue in the ancient Greek world, it was seen as weakness, but Jesus changed all of that. When God himself put on human flesh and washed his disciples' feet, humility became the mark of true greatness. Paul is not asking us to think poorly of ourselves, he is asking us to think of others first.

This is not something we should try to manufacture on our own. Left to ourselves, we drift toward self-interest, it's human nature. Now when the Holy Spirit is at work in us, He begins to reshape our desires. We start to notice the needs of people around us, and we begin to ask, "How can I help?" instead of "What's in it for me?".

Today, look for one small way to put someone else first. It might be letting someone go ahead of you, listening without checking your phone, or helping with a task that no one will notice. These small acts of humility are not small to God, they reflect the heart of Jesus himself.

Servanthood is not weakness, it is the very character of Christ living through you.