Happy Friday to you all!! This is Michele blogging for you today! I am honored to have the opportunity, once again, to share with you what God is speaking to my heart as I read his Word. Today, I am focusing on Philippians 2:1-11. This text reminds us that we are to have the attitude of Christ as it pertains to our interactions with others. My heart continues to focus on the following:
Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (vs. 3-5)
This certainly does not speak to my interactions with those who are unlovable! It couldn't......could it?? How about grumpy people who just want to be left alone? Or miserable people who want to drag you down with them when things are going pretty well for you? Are you ever tempted to be envious of others and think that those who have "everything" don't deserve to be served?
This passage tells us that we are to take interest in others. It is not specified which "kind" of others we are to be interested in.......just that we are to take that interest and to think of others as better than ourselves. Being humble means remembering who we are, that we are all imperfect beings who have been saved by God's grace alone. Jesus did not only serve the kind, gentle, respectful crowd. Not at all! God's Word says:
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being (vs. 7)
So, when I come across that grumpy person who thinks that the world owes him/her, or when someone in my life can't stand that I'm joyful and they're not, or when I happen upon someone who seems to have it all, I need to have the attitude that Jesus had. I need to remember that I was once like many of these people and it is only by God's grace that I don't live my life grumpy or in misery or continue to be a lost soul. Just because someone may have a lot of "things" doesn't mean that they have Jesus. I need to do what I can to show the love of Christ and to show that person what it means to be a Christ follower. Lay down my own need to be justified for their behavior against me and determine to love that person......NOT his or her actions.
Thank you, Lord that you did not overlook me. Help me to see others through your eyes and to really love them, to be like you and live to serve others. Lord, fill my heart with an attitude like yours....an attitude of humility and unselfishness. Please take away my need to be justified when someone chooses to behave negatively toward me and replace it with a genuine love and compassion for that person's soul. Please fill my heart, Lord, with your genuine love for all!
Please feel free and welcome to share any comments you may have below!! Thank you for allowing me to share with you and I hope you have an excellent Friday!!
Difficult people. Self-satisfied people. They're everywhere! God is showing us the winning way to deal with them. The attitude of Jesus...wow, is that ever setting the bar high! But that is the path to glory! I love the way that the end of this section of text reminds us of that! This isn't just about the "right" way to treat people, as in keeping a list of behavioral rules. This is the way to overcome evil with good. Thank you so much, Michele! Love your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with a situation like this: It is known that a certain person borrows money from family and friends and rarely repays. You have a realtionship with this person as part of your extended family and you know that he/she is not able to stop the flow of funds through the spouse...and there is never enough. Then one day when you are enjoying a nice "visit" and that person is being "helpful" suddenly you are asked to loan $100. You see the anguish in the eyes of that person, hating to ask but really needing the money for who knows what.... what do you do? What is the Christlike thing to do? How do you show compassion and yet not become an enabler?
ReplyDeleteTough question!! This is something similar to what I have had to answer myself. Not sure if this is the "right" way to handle the situation, but I did loan the money....although not in the way requested. I paid a bill......but paid the bill company directly so that I was sure that my money was going to pay the bill and not for something that I was unaware of. In giving the money or paying the bill you must realize that you will most likely not be paid back....so, don't go into this expecting a pay back!!!! Unlikely that you will receive one! Maybe help out, but set your boundaries.
ReplyDeleteMichele