Moving "Me" Aside, Pt. 2
Well, last week’s devotion was challenging, based on your feedback. It certainly challenged me—the very next day. It was a small thing. My daughter wanted to bake cookies from scratch, and she wanted to do it that afternoon. I had already planned my afternoon, and it didn’t include grocery shopping for chocolate chips and brown sugar, messing up mixing bowls and countertops, and having to clean it all up before cooking dinner.
But I did. She was exuberant and thankful. I was grousing inside, focused on the inconvenience to “me.” And God floated the words I had written the day before about moving “me” aside. I was reminded yet again that I daily need the Lord to walk out the kindness, patience, love, and other qualities in Colossians 3:12-14, not just in deed, but from the heart.
But if the Colossians verses were challenging, these are extra convicting:
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB).
Yeah, I know. If you’re like me, you might’ve read it a second time with question marks. Do NOTHING from selfishness or empty conceit? Regard others as MORE important than myself? This runs counter to most everything we see and hear in the world. It’s counter to our own flesh.
But our model is Jesus, “who, being in very nature God…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death….” (Philippians 2:6-8 NIV).
If Jesus—God in flesh—could humble Himself and die for us, how is it that we—clothed in sinful flesh—regard ourselves first in anything?
Sigh. Yep, convicted.
We might be challenged daily, but with the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, my prayer is that we’ll move more and more of “me” aside and put others first—like Jesus.
Heavenly Father, I need help to obey Your Word. Help me to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind to regard others as more important than myself. Help me to not merely look out for my own personal interest, but also the interests of others, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
3 Responses to “Moving "Me" Aside, Pt. 2”
Powerful!!!! In a world that is full of “lovers of themselves” it can be a little challenging to put others first. Daily dying to self is so real because I can be selfish with my time. Each extra minute I get, I want to rest! However, with kids, work and church pulling on me–makes it hard to be selfish. I really don’t have a right to be selfish with my time. And another interesting fact: God will show us “us” through our children and/or our spouses. Are one of your children like that? Does Bill have selfish moments like you described? God is real good at putting up the mirror image!
“Daily dying to self is so real because I can be selfish with my time”…GUILTY. My selfishness revolves mainly around time. I’ve got so much to do, so if I’ve planned my time a certain way and it gets interrupted…grrrr. LOL I have to remind myself that it’s not “my” time; it’s God’s time. He’ll give me the time to get done what I need to get done, and He’ll fill it as He sees fit. And yes, God is always showing me “me” through my kids and Bill. Bill is actually really good about redirecting himself from something he’d planned to do to giving attention to the family. I’m the one who grew up an only child and was used to having “my” time ALL the time. Oh, how things have changed mightily….:) That’s how God has developed the fruit of the Spirit in me!
That is SO me!!! “I’ve got so much to do, so if I’ve planned my time a certain way and it gets interrupted…grrrr.” I’m not an only child so I respond this way because people were always in my face and in my space. LOL I’m so glad God is full of grace. (okay, did I just make all that rhyme???)