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How would you feel if everyone you grew up with, have met since, and that know you now, considered you to be the most important person in the world to them - better than a favorite rock star, movie star, political candidate? What if the person who greets you at a business establishment, a sales person, or a stranger you meet on the street, was so genuinely interested in you, and considerate of you, that they put you ahead of themselves?

It would be a different world. That kind of world is not here yet, of course - but there a little part of the world where this is - or should be - the norm. Notice: “Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” - Philippians 2:3 (AB)

Does this seem like a hard saying?

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples and the Jews after He had performed the miracle of feeding five thousand, He stated that He was the true bread of life, and that they must feed on Him in order to have eternal life. To this many of His disciples simply could not swallow His words. They said this is a “hard saying”. Many discontinued following Him. (John 6:66).

The command of the Apostle Paul (it is a command), although admittedly a hard saying, normally does not cause someone to stop following Jesus. The way this is handled in most of us is to simply ignore what he said. The admonition somehow is not there. It is gone by default. To think in this way, and do what he says is so contrary to our fallen nature that it is seldom even considered. The first objection in our minds is that it is utterly impractical. From that, it goes to impossible - or somewhere in between. In a world in which self is god, in which “me first” and “maybe you” is the rule, this command seems absurd even to some believers in Christ. Down deep they just feel that they cannot do it. It would be embarrassing and humiliating to try.

But is there a reason that this a such a hard saying, other than that it goes against the grain of our nature?

The answer is simple, but the implementation is more difficult. The “short answer”, as the saying goes, is that the one who can put God first will not have much trouble putting brothers and sisters in Christ first. Most of us feel that we are putting God first - but are we, really…? This is the place to begin to be capable of implementing Paul’s command. There is an irony here. Notice: “If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen. And this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother [believer] also.” - 1 John 4:20.

In order to love God, we must first come to know that He loved us first (v. 19). Because He loved us first - and we know that He loved and continues to love us - we are enabled to love our follow Christians first. That is, first before ourselves. Often, we cannot put others first because of fear. Fear drives more of our actions than we realize (1 John 4:18). Many types of fears. Fear of being taken advantage of, fear of lack of acceptance or approval from another, and being ultra-self conscious. This is simply putting ourselves first again. But there is an answer for this fear. It is the love of God.

As we grow in love for God, and love from God, these fears will begin to be replaced by love (v. 17). By the Holy Spirit, love for God and God’s love in us will create a new ability that seemed impossible before. We begin to put others first. This does not mean that we cannot be second - only that the other becomes the most “significant other” rather than ourselves. Because we genuinely love God, we will be given the power to genuinely love our fellow Christian, and put them before ourselves.

Considering others as being better than ourselves, and putting their interests ahead of ours, is a God-like thing. As it begins to develop, contrary to what it would seems you begin to have more peace of mind, contentment, and less and less fear, and more genuine love for God the Father, Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Spirit, more love for everyone created in God image.

As the fruit of this command increases, the more that we put others first, it guarantees that we will be put first by those we have put first. We become more and more one with our God, in Christ Jesus. He put us first, before Himself. We can puts others first, too. He will enable us.

“Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped ]or retained, But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!” - Philippians 2:4-8 (AB)

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Washed by the Water of the Word