Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Look to the Interests of Others

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cindykeating.com


“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.” Phil. 2:3-4 (NIV)

               This passage, written by Paul, speaks of attitudes God’s children display as they go through life on earth. The Apostle lists attitudes that he must have seen in people of his time.

               “selfish ambition” Ambition can be good—as long as we do not put ourselves ahead of the others around us.

               “vain conceit” As a teenager, I heard of kids saying that someone was conceited. It was an observation told about the attitude of another person.  When someone used this word it was an evaluation of the other person’s make-up that told of some selfishness seen in their lives.


               “humility” When we learn that we have habits that are viewed as not liked by God and we admit we have them and strive to eliminate them, we become humble in His eyes.

               “own interests, interests of others.” I once heard an older woman state an acrostic for the word joy: Jesus, Others, Yourself. Our own wants, likes, and dislikes are to come last.

               What do we see in the 21st Century? I see people striving to live for God; however, I also see people acting in selfish ways. Yes, conceit is still around.

               What can we do to live how God wants us to live?


5 comments:

  1. What a timely, needed post in this "selfish" century! I also love that poster. Thanks for this.
    What I can do to glorify God and be more humble is to volunteer for menial tasks. "Mom, your shoe is untied; can I tie it for you?"
    "I'll sweep the floor; you relax." "What can I do to help?"

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    Replies
    1. Tnank you, Jeanette. We all need to search our hearts and ask God to show us ways to get rid of 'self' and learn to live for Him.

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  2. Hi Cecelia! We were just talking about this in bible study last night. It seems that much of the world has lost it's interest in God, and seeks out it's own pleasure.
    The answer is always about love. How can I love my neighbor as myself? It does require humility, something I always have to learn and relearn.
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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    Replies
    1. Ceil: Read the Chapter 24 of Matthew and concentrate on Matthew 24:12 "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold," We see a lot of this when we study the world and how those of the world react to different stimuli.

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    2. Thank you for your warm thoughts.

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