Philippians 2:3 – Don’t be selfish;  don’t try to impress others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

I bet there’s something you want . . . if it’s not a thing, perhaps it’s your way? We may think that life would be a whole lot easier if everyone fell into line and did what we wanted. But did you ever think what would happen if everyone really behaved so selfishly? What if everyone demanded to have his or her way? What kind of world would we live in? Probably not a very pleasant one.

Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about our own needs and wants that we forget to consider others. If we did we may be surprised at the need all around us. We might be surprised at all the other good ideas. We might be surprised at how good it feels to think of others more important than ourselves.

The only way we can think of others instead of ourselves is to train our hearts to be humble.

The most perfect example of humility is Jesus. Jesus is God, and no one deserves more praise and honor than Him. Yet Jesus considered our needs more important His. He thought of us better than Himself.

Jesus didn’t try to impress anyone. He could have adorned Himself in the best clothes and the finest jewels and made everyone bow down to Him. But instead He came to earth as a poor servant who allowed people to make fun of Him so that He could die for their sins. He allowed this to happen because of His love for us.

Jesus asks us to love others like we love ourselves.  Loving to that extent is unselfish and humble. When we put others’ needs first God promises to take care of all our needs.

For Bible illustrations of the concept of Jesus’ importance and humility see See Matthew 2:1-12; 14:13-21; 26:14-39 and 27:32-56.

Could you put aside a need or want today and instead take care of the needs or wants of someone else? Give three examples of a neighbor or classmate you could help today.

Are you only nice when you’re getting your way? What’s a strategy to remain joyful while honoring someone else’s way?

One way to show humility is to be a good sharer. Do you share your toys and clothes with your siblings and friends? How about someone in need? If not, could you make plan to do so?

It’s hard to think of others when you want to think about yourself. Here’s a simple prayer to ask God for help:

Dear God, help me put aside my feelings and trust you to give me everything I need. Put a love in my heart for others, Lord, so that I consider them more important than myself. Help me to do things from a pure heart and not to get something in return. I love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.