[This post can be read aloud in 5 1/2 min.]
The first step to valuing others is so simple, but so often overlooked.
Philippians: Shine Like Stars – DAY 25
Family Discussions for a New School Year
*This is DAY 25. Click here for 1-24.
DAY 25/TUESDAY
Philippians 2:1-4
Value Others Above Yourselves
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV)
Paul’s Joy
Q: When did Paul’s joy for the Philippians start?
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”
Philippians 1:4,5 (NIV)
A: His joy for them started with their partnership in the gospel.
We all start our relationship with God and partnership with other believers when we accept the gospel of Jesus Christ for ourselves. The Holy Spirit enters each of us and unites us. But accepting is just the beginning, not the end! When we accept the gospel of Christ, the journey of our real life, our eternal life, begins. As we mentioned on DAY 15, “We are already justified, but we are being sanctified.”
sanctified = purified
“Every moral decision (choice between right & wrong) we make as believers either keeps us pure or mixes in some sin. This sin does not keep us from going to heaven (we are justified by grace!), but it does affect our purity. The spiritual process of sanctification makes us more pure.”
DAY 15: Pure & Blameless for Christ
Paul’s joy, which began when the Philippians accepted the gospel, will be made complete when they are sanctified.
Joy Made Complete
Q: How (specifically) can the Philippian Christians make Paul’s joy complete?
A: They can make his joy complete by:
- being like-minded with brothers- & sisters-in-Christ
- having the same love
- being one in spirit & of one mind
- doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit
- in humility, valuing others above themselves
- not looking to their own interests but each of them to the interests of the others
Look to Their Interests
Q: How did Paul look to the interests of other believers instead of his own?
The prime example of this is in 1:21-26.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.”
Philippians 1:21-26 (NIV)
A: Paul remained to continue with them even though it wasn’t in his best interest.
Paul’s chief desire was to depart — to die — and be with Christ in heaven. Since he was already in trouble with the authorities, in prison, and had been beaten to the point of death by those who hated the gospel message, Paul could probably get himself into a lethal situation pretty easily. Yet he fought and prayed for life, so that he could continue his ministry, for the “progress and joy in the faith” of his fellow, less mature believers.
Value Others Above Yourselves
| Check yourself: Are you concerned about the “progress & joy in the faith” of the brothers & sisters around you? Are you looking to what is in the best interest of fellow believers or only to your own interests? |
Pray for them.
The easiest (but shamefully downplayed) first step to take in valuing others above yourselves is prayer.
We often pray for each other to heal from sickness and injury, be safe from physical harm, do well at some activity or other, get through a personal crisis, and enjoy financial & other earthly blessings — and there’s nothing wrong with this.
However, I’m going to guess none of us pray as often for the spiritual progress (gradual improvement; movement toward a higher, better, or more advanced stage) of our believing brothers & sisters, let alone for their “joy in the faith.” These, however, are the priorities of Paul!
Something happens in your heart when you regularly pray for someone else. You soften toward them. Your concern for them grows. You start thinking about them and how they’re doing and not just about how a relationship with them may benefit you; you look to their interests. It’s harder to become mad or stay mad at them, and much easier to forgive them.
To value others above yourselves, I recommend starting with prayer. Let’s pray now.
DAY 25/TUESDAY Prayer
Father God,
Thank You for Your Word which says “value others above yourselves,” a command we need to take seriously.
Thank You for the community of believers of which our family is a part. We pray for them now.
May our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ progress in the faith. Let their love abound more & more in knowledge & depth of insight, so that they may be able to discern what is best and may be pure & blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory & praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).
Make us like-minded, Lord; may we have the same love and be one in spirit and of one mind (Philippians 2:2).
We pray our believing brothers & sisters will also keep joy in the faith. Restore to them the joy of their salvation! (Psalm 51:12). May they remember that You are their strength & their shield; may their hearts trust in You, for You help them. We pray their hearts will leap for joy, and with songs they will praise You! (Psalm 28:7).
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
DAY 25: Paul writes to the Philippians about looking to the interests of others, telling them to "value others above yourselves."