Greater Than Self

How often do we do this:

• Worry more about whether or not WE are making an impact, than if God is?
• Want to make sure we are drawing people to OURSELVES, not to God?
• Are interested in our OWN names, not His?

I would've answered these questions, "No way"—until this past week.

How often do we do this:

• Worry more about whether or not WE are making an impact, than if God is?
• Want to make sure we are drawing people to OURSELVES, not to God?
• Are interested in our OWN names, not His?

I would've answered these questions, "No way"—until this past week.

I was listening to Philippians through the NET Bible (great, free audio on their website by the way). I was just bopping along, listening to the Bible, and then wham Philippians 2 snuck up on me. Specifically, Philippians 2:3 really hit me: “Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.”

Sure, I’ve heard it before, but this was just one of those days when a verse really gets to you. It was probably because my husband had recently pointed out my selfishness. I know, I know, that sounds really horrible, but he did it in a gentle way. He wasn’t accusing me, just observing a fact. And, he wisely didn’t use the word "selfish"—just that I wasn’t entirely focused on others. And, he wisely wasn’t referring to my treatment of himself, but some people I’d been trying to minister to and was praying for.

You see, the issue was that I was forgetting that I was trying to minister to these people and was getting all caught up in whether or not they liked me. He simply pointed out that liking me wasn’t what it was all about. Yes, I don't want to be some obnoxious clod who doesn't care about what other people think or feel. However, I also don't want to be so caught up in whether or not I am loved that I lose sight of the fact my sole pupose is to love others. It was just later as I listened to Philippians that the "selfish" bit came down on my head like coals.

Thankfully, my husband and the Bible got me back on the right path. The path that does “not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but [empties myself]” (Phil 2:6-7).

As we head to this weekend where we see the full depth of Christ emptying himself, let us do the same. My prayer is to have those around me know God better and to be drawn towards Him. My actions don’t always match, though.

The remedy is so simply stated in Phil 2:3: “treat one another as more important than yourself.” May this Easter see us emptying ourselves and treating others as greater.