by Charles R. Swindoll
Yourself, yourself, yourself. We're up to here with self! Do something either for yourself or with yourself or to yourself. How very different from Jesus' model and message. He offers rather a fresh and much-needed invitation to our "me-first" generation. There is a better way, Jesus says: "Be a servant, give to others!" Now that's a philosophy that anybody can understand. And, without question, it is attainable. Just listen: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil. 2:3-4).
Know what all that means? Well, for starters, "nothing" means just that. Stop permitting two strong tendencies—selfishness and conceit—to control you! Let nothing either of them suggests win a hearing. Replace them with "humility of mind." But how? By regarding others as more important than yourself. Look for ways to support, encourage, build up, and stimulate the other person. And that requires an attitude that would rather give than receive.
"Humility of mind" is really an attitude, isn't it? It's a preset mentality that determines ahead of time that I will care about others' needs more than my own.
The decision to give ourselves to others is a daily taking up of the cross.
Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.