Consider Others (May 2025)
Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others
better than yourselves. (NIV)
Wanting to be #1, or Number ONE, is at heart of so much conflict.
Both in the world and in the Christian Church, self-centredness
and its consequences result in so much of
the harm and the disharmony that engulf our world.
Satan’s fall from heaven, and that of Eve and Adam on earth, resulted from aspirations and efforts on their
respective parts to be first, or at least equal, with God, the Creator and architect of the universe, and the
sovereign ruler of all. All sin against others has flowed from this unholy and misguided ambition.
Preference given — or even the perception of preference being shown — to one group of widows led to
complaints of neglect on behalf of another group of widows. (Acts 6:1) Yet in God’s design for His
church, the solution was to enlist more servants.
A servant is one possessing the spirit of the greatest Servant of all, Jesus Christ. The early church
addressed the problem of the neglected widows by seeking and choosing seven servants “full of the Spirit
and of wisdom”, and entrusting to them the care of all, so that none would be neglected. This is service.
Most, if not all, slights and offences taken — whether intentional or nonintentional
— would disappear
and be no more remembered if each and all of us practiced the same sort of humble service that proceeds
from hearts and minds that “consider others” better than ourselves.
Here is Paul’s counsel, pointing us to the One Who shows the way:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. (Philippians 2:59,
NIV)
Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for us. Most of us are not being called to die on crosses, but we are being
summoned to live as servants of one another, in the spirit of humble service that considers others ahead of
ourselves. May God lead us to so live, and thereby to strengthen the harmony and the unity of Christ’s
family here on earth, and in so doing show the world that there is a far better way than ME first.
Christ Jesus is the only #1, or THE ONE.
Your pastor, humbly and imperfectly, but striving to serve,
James T. Hurd
