others

1 If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4

During our growing-up years, my sisters and I would often start whining about something—displaying our self-centeredness. My father would say, “One monkey don't stop the show.” He wasn't being demeaning or calling us monkeys. No, his message was clear: “You're not the only person who lives in this house, and we're not going to stop and bow down in obedience to your self-centered demand.”

My father had a sixth sense about selfishness. He wouldn't put up with it. He would say, “You can whine and do whatever you want to do and you'll pay the consequences for that, but it doesn't stop anything around here.”

Some Christians are sophisticated whiners. We act as if God owes us a place on center stage. The ones who whine and complain about everything do so because they want attention. We're all selfish. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

Selfishness is an equal-opportunity sin. It's stamped on everybody's soul. Some of us are simply more selfish than others. Selfishness is ugly and destructive and driven by pride. It says, “I'm the one to pay attention to—I'm it.”

We find in Philippians 2 that we need to face our selfishness, seek to overcome it, and conquer it. Paul wrote, “Stop being so headstrong. Stop demanding your way. Stop brokering every situation to get what you want and to do what you want. Don't approach things that way.” The essence of Christlikeness is not to demand what you want—but to surrender . . . to consider other people more important than yourself or your agenda. Our motivation must not be to have our own way but rather, to do what's right. God's work, God's will, and God's kingdom are bigger than we are.

God has called us to live in community with others. We need to focus on what is right and not what we want, because . . . really . . . “one monkey don't stop the show.” —Crawford W. Loritts livingalegacy.org

seeking: Heavenly Father, what have you helped me to see about my own pride and self-focus? What happens as I turn my eyes to you?

responding: How am I getting in the way of what God wants to do in my life? • Do I think of myself more highly than I think of others? How I can serve others better?

Father, please forgive me for being so selfish at times. I want to be more like you and serve others with a grateful heart for all that you've done for me.

following: We make too many concessions to self-centeredness.

our journey