NOVEMBER 9 - The Interests of Others

NOVEMBER 9 - The Interests of Others     Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. — PHILIPPIANS 2:3 – 5     Christ is the ultimate example of selfless humility, and we are never more like him than when we demonstrate this godly quality.     The quickest and surest path to humility is to follow the advice of today's verse — "Consider others better than yourself."     I have seen my husband, Ken, time and again look out for my interests before his own. It's not the big things like getting up at 3:00 a.m. to turn me; it's the little things. Making sure my wheelchair batteries get charged every night, that the coffee is prepared for the morning, and that I have plenty of soy milk for my special drink each day. When I notice that he's placed a full box of tissue on the counter, I smile. It's that quality of humble service I appreciate most about him (and it's what energizes my love and respect for him).     When does humility happen? When you get in a conversation and do more listening than talking. Humility is cultivated when you push others into the spotlight. When you put a lid on your itchiness to take credit for a positive outcome. When you work behind the scenes to ensure the success of the other, to promote their interests, or to make certain they get recognition for a project (especially if you contributed significantly to that project). A sure path to humility is to not quickly raise your hand in Bible class when you know the answer (especially if you've already given answers). Plan a way to "look out for the interests of others" today.     Jesus, thank you for reminding me to make my neighbor's case my own. Help me not to focus on humility but only on my friend and my Christian service to him.

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