Better Than Yourself

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 2:3-5

This is an immensely familiar scripture passage if you have grown up in a Christian home. However it recently smacked me square in between the eyes.  Right now I’m reading Die Young by Michael & Hayley Dimarco and although I’m only 75 pages in to the book I am already super convicted and super blessed. The main theme of the book is all about dying to self and all that entails, but the part in which they focused on esteeming others better than ourselves really hit home for me.

In this world we are bombarded with images and sayings about how we deserve it, how we are the best, how if we’re not the best we should be striving to be it. As Christians we try to resist these messages but since they bred into our sinful nature I think that they steep into our lives and churches far more than we like to admit.

I’ve recently been really struggling with attitudes towards situations in my life and I kept wondering why I was having such a very hard time putting them behind me. Through this book and many other things it was like God set up a big neon sign that screamed, “It’s because you’re putting yourself in the number one position–thinking everyone and everything needs to cater to YOU.”

Ouch.

It hurts to be told, hear, and discover the ugly truth, but it has to be done. In order to grow and mature we have to be willing to be hit in the eyes-to realize that we are NOT the most important person and we are most certainly not supposed to act as if we are.

If Christ was so willing to humble himself why on earth do we have such a hard time getting off our high horses of self entitlement and opinions? It definitely shouldn’t be that way.

And you know what? Ever since I realized all of that, confessed my sin and turned it over to God my struggles and bad attitude have evaporated. Amazing how that works!

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