Friday, January 4, 2008

Others Better Than Myself

DON'T ACT OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION OR BE CONCEITED. INSTEAD, HUMBLY THINK OF OTHERS AS BEING BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. Philippians 2.3.

Think of it for a moment. Don’t you and I act out of selfish ambition most of the time? Aren’t we self-conceited?

We seldom have the humility to admit that others may be better than us or that we are not as good as they are! The root of most problems and troubles is here. Unfortunately, we Christians are no better than the others in this respect. We create more problems in the Church simply because of selfish ambition, conceitedness and lack of humility which make us think that we are right and others are not as smart as we are.

Dear believer, do you know that almost all of our problems in the home and in the church are caused by an inflated ego? Do you notice that you have no problem with those who are below you! Your problem is always with those who are above you and better than you! Have you recognised this? If not, take a little time and think about it. Your quibbles, whether at home or church or office, are with those above you and in authority! This is wrong!

It is God who places people in authority over you. He does it in His wisdom and knowledge. God commands you to respect and obey authority. God commands, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Ex 20.12). Under no circumstances should you dishonour your parents! Again God demands of you, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Tim 5.17).

This doesn’t mean that parents and elders are always right and they never make mistakes. The other day I told my daughter for some reason, “We parents give advice not because we are always right but because we have been wrong many times and learned from our mistakes!” Wise children can correct parents but with due respect. In the same way, church leaders have been wrong before and they still make mistakes. God, who has ordered us to honour them, also has given us specific instructions how to offer correction!

You must follow Christ and learn to be humble. You must learn to consider others better than yourself – not just in words but in your actions too. Because of your accomplishments and position, you often think that you are better than those who do not possess them! I thought that I was ‘better’ than my gardener! On second thought, there are many things he does that I cannot do and some things he definitely can do better! I am learning that I should consider him better than me at least as a gardener and respect him for it. The same truth applies to all! You need to reconsider your relationship with others, from home to church and office. You must learn the right perspectives from the Lord Jesus.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, You were God-man. Yet You never ‘thought less’ of anyone, even a leper or harlot. Help me to begin to practice humility and consider all - at home, outside and in the church, better than myself. Teach me to treat all with respect and honour. Amen.

No comments: