“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.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Humble Servants

It happens all the time in sports. A team will lose a game they shouldn’t partly because they didn’t respect their opponent enough. Usually it’s not intentional, but the mindset of the players still changes slightly based on who they’re playing. Whether it’s a lesser team right before a big game or a team that struggles historically, the idea that they can’t lose to this team begins to slip into the back of the players’ minds. The next thing they know, it’s a close game late or they’re walking to the locker room in shock. 

In our society today, I feel like humility is something we struggle to achieve. We have a tendency to focus on ourselves instead of others. Paul urges us to rethink this mindset. From the very beginning, Jesus lived a life that was different. He was focused on God, not himself or what society told him he should do. By practicing humility, we can be like Christ in how we live.

One of the best ways to show love to someone is to make them feel valued. It’s incredibly difficult to do that if we’re constantly making ourselves the center of attention. Let’s strive to change our focus so that it’s centered around God and others, not ourselves.

– Joshua Doering

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