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Think Outward
Our world can sometimes feel quite small. We can feel painted into a corner, running out of options. The truth of this teaching will infinitely expand your horizons and the possibilities given us as sons of God in Christ.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
God doesn’t say, “Try to keep the strife to a minimum.” He says, “No strife.” What is strife? It is the working of a devil spirit of strife. The word “strife” is also translated “debate” in the New Testament, and is the spirit that drives our political parties’ dealings with one another.
When you hear words like these, you know a spirit of strife is in operation. “Can’t you see….” “Don’t you get it……” “Why can’t you just…….” The spirit of strife expresses itself through the use of adamant terminology…adamant, uncompromising, judgmental words and phrases. We’ve all encountered this spirit, and many of us have been influenced by it. Wanting to argue, but not listen…..that’s a spirit.
Vainglory means “void of glory”. Glory is the full and unhindered expression of the best of someone or something. Vainglory “is all about me.” Look at me, honor me, celebrate me! You need to consider my feelings! I am something special, and the whole world should stop what it’s doing and acknowledge that!!! This parades itself as glory, but is not glory at all!
Esteem means ‘to lead out before the mind.” You, take time to think of something that is not you. You lead out another person, another’s needs, another’s glorious attributes, another’s strengths, another’s desires before your mind. And you reckon those thoughts as more important than thinking about yourself.
Think about it. This itself would makes our own lives 100x more interesting. Don’t you really get very bored just thinking about your own problems, your own behavior, your own ……. stuff!? Now, right now….stop thinking about you….pick someone else….lead them, their “things”, their needs, their good characteristics, their desires, their very lives….before your mind, and exalt those thoughts as being more important than thinking about yourself.
See? Isn’t life much more interesting now? Because now, you’ve got a reason to live. Now you’ve got a purpose, your life has a meaning beyond your own things. And now, right now…another person is in your life, an important part of your life.
Romans 15:1-3a We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let very one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself;
Want to grow in spiritual strength? Think of others. Pray for others. Care about the lives of others. Not so you can feel superior, so you can condescend (ie; pat others on the head with a feeling of self-superiority). But so that others become better. We have the Christ-given ability to add to (bless) the lives of others. Love desires to do just that. Love looks at another and thinks, “Now that person is greatness waiting to happen,…what do I have to offer that can help turn that greatness loose?”
How do we bear the infirmities of the weak? When they strive (argue), we don’t argue back….we love. When they are angry, we dwell in peace. When they lust, we gently reprove and instruct. When they are depressed, we firmly encourage. When they are awash in guilt, we reprove the spirit that punishes them. We see them in the light of the spirit of Christ, even though they walk in the carnality of their sinful flesh. We do all this, not because we are better than them, but because we love them, and desire them to have all that God has given us.
Philippians 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
We are exhorted here not to just think about what God has revealed and is revealing within us of the spirit of His Son, but also to pay attention to what God is doing in the lives of others. “Things” speaks of what comes from the spirit of Christ within. The more we open our hearts to others, and to the Christ in them, the more we will be knit together within the body of Christ as necessary parts.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.
Our love, our enjoyment of being in one another’s presence, is not to be hypocritical, going through the motions, putting on the mask……but is to be genuine. Open your heart to how God has loved and is loving you through the ongoing presence of the gift of the life of His Son, Jesus Christ. And be filled to overflowing with that genuine, gently powerful love of God toward others, manifesting itself through true brotherly bonds of love.
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
We are each individually different (I know that’s redundant and repetitive), yet each one is joined in intricate, life-supplying harmony with one another. Praise the Lord for his magnificent gift of one another.
Ephesians 4:16 From whom (Christ, the head…..this is why being accountable to another man is bad….that man cannot supply us or cause us to fit together) the whole body is fitly joined together, and is compacted by that which every joint (relationship) supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part (according to the effective working of the spirit of Christ in each individual member), makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Philippians 2:5-9 Let this mind (these thoughts) be in you, which were also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (thought it not rapine, or robbery, to be equal…in authority and power and essence….with God); But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name;
God encourages us to think like His only begotten Son thought. That having the authority and power of God (which is ours, as sons of God) is not something to grab on to as plunder, or to hoard, but to empty ourselves of any vainglory, and become as one who does the bidding of another. Though we live the lives that look like any other man (we eat, we sleep, we play, we work, we feel painful emotions, etc.), we put ourselves under the authority of Christ, and allow for Him to exalt us when the time is right, according to God’s eternal plan.
When we think only of ourselves, our world is no bigger than the size of our heads. When we get outside of that thinking, and think of others, of their well-being, our world becomes infinite in size and in possibilities.
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See other studies:
Constipated Consciousness
Vanity of the Mind
Morality versus Godliness
The Approval of Man
Godly Logic (How to Serve God)
I love how you put that thinking of others instead of yourself makes life much more interesting. It’s so true. It’s exciting, uplifting, powerful, it breeds growth. So often in life we think of “helping others” or “caring about others” is something we HAVE to do.. because it’s the “right” thing to do. Instead of realizing that this is an energizer of life. The best way to fix your problems, is to stop thinking of YOUR problems, and love other people.
I needed this today 🙂