Everything's Possible - 10

May 21st, 2024

Philippians 2:3 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.

All of this is good.

No.

All of this is exactly what the world needs right now and probably has always needed. Let's break it all down:

Don’t be selfish. This one seems pretty simple. Look to others first; don’t be worried only about yourself, but find ways to put other people in front of you. Make sure you have your head inclined to see the needs of those around you rather than making sure your needs are taken care of. This doesn’t mean that we stop thinking about our own needs, but it is a clarion call to see the world in ways that don’t necessarily consider ourselves first.
Don’t try to impress others. This one is tough right now. With the advent of social media, we have a very difficult time not living in a comparison narrative that seems to overtake the joy we have at any given time. It seems that we feel that if we can just put out our best lives on social media, then everything will be fine. These curated lives are meant to impress others, not reflect what is true in our lives. That is not to say that they do not give a glimpse into some great things in our lives, but they continue to create a narrative that our lives are built to be broadcast. What would happen if we committed to be present in every moment of our lives rather than looking for ways to curate an experience for those who were not there?
Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Does this mean we are not to think much of ourselves? No, of course not! But it does mean that pushback on those narcissistic tendencies that so many of us have so much of the time. It means that we seek the good of others, thinking of ourselves less. C.S. Lewis says that humility is “not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less.” I have always loved this idea in that it does not devalue who we are, but it reminds us to give thought to others, to their needs and their hopes is a valuable and important pursuit.
Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. While this may seem much like the previous phrase, there is a nuanced difference. It means that we should be exercising that empathy muscle first in our lives. We should find ourselves thinking of the needs of others before our own needs. That doesn’t mean that we should not take care of ourselves; a life lived for others, with forethought, and with care, should be what we strive for each day.

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