Daily Power #135

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Phil. 2:3–4)

When was the last time you snapped a selfie? Last night? When you woke up today? Last weekend?

On the other hand, if I asked you, “Are you vain and self-absorbed?” you would probably say, “Of course not, Craig!” and then you’d think what a rude person I must be for asking. But the truth is that in our social-media-saturated world, we face more temptations than ever before to value ourselves too highly. From what we post as our status to our ubiquitous selfies, we become the star in our very own reality series called life.

As followers of Jesus, however, we’re called to put others before ourselves. God tells us not to be so focused on our appearance and what we’re going to wear and eat and do next. Instead we should look for ways we can serve those in need. Our culture encourages us to chase after our fifteen minutes of fame, but God tells us to focus on investing ourselves in things with eternal value. While it’s not always easy, with Christ as our role model, putting others first is always possible.

Today step out of your spotlight and let someone else be the star of the show as you serve them.

Power Lift

Lord, it’s not always easy to quit thinking about myself, but I want to put others first. Remind me that in order to find my life I must lose it.