One Another Commands
Value One Another
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves
~ Apostle Paul
Pondering Point
Another way of phrasing this is to consider others better than yourself– or treat them better than you treat yourself. There is no problem in valuing ourselves, as long as we do so with a sober mind and humble spirit. The call here is to value others above oneself – not just in words, but in action.
Prayer Prompt for the Day
Ask God to enable you to see value in people in and of themselves, not for what they can do for you.
It's often quoted that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” But that's exactly what we do. We get a vision of the kind of life that is possible in Jesus; we go to church or read a book or listen to a podcast; we catch a glimpse of the kind of life we ache for – of emotional health and spiritual life. Our gut immediately says, Yes. God, I want that life. We head home from church with all the willpower we can muster and set out to change. But then we go right back to living the exact same lifestyle.
And nothing changes. It's the same cycle on repeat: stress, tiredness, distraction. We feel stuck yet again. And then we wonder, what am I missing? This method of change simply does not work. What does? Honestly, the solution is very, very simple.
If you want to experience the life “to the full” of Jesus, his non-stop, conscious enjoyment of God's presence and world, all you have to do is adopt not only his theology and ethics but also his lifestyle.
Just follow his way. That's it. Just take his life as a template for your own. Take on his habits and practices. As an apprentice, copy your Rabbi’s every move. After all, that's the whole point of apprenticeship.
~ J.M. Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, p. 85, 86
Apprenticeship
- State or condition of learning from a master in an art, trade, or business
- Systematic training of a new generation of practitioners in a basic set of skill and tools