Preferring Others (Phil 2:3)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves - Philippians 2:3

Jesus lived His whole life in accordance with this verse.

Jesus did nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. Despite understanding His unique connection to the Father, Jesus always counted others more significant than Himself.

Jesus belonged in a palace, but instead He spent His time roaming the streets and countrysides. He deserved to have servants, but instead He Himself lived His life as a servant to mankind.

Nothing Jesus ever did was with Himself at the forefront of His own mind.

And thus Jesus displayed and revealed divinity to the world.

To be God-like is to be Christ-like. And to be Christ-like is to be completely "self-forgetful."

Perfect peace and perfect joy come when we take our minds off of ourselves.

Paradoxically, the way to maximize self-happiness is to minimize self-consciousness.

When we stop trying to make ourselves happy, and instead seek to serve others, we will receive the very happiness we had been seeking for ourselves.

And how do we best serve others? By following Jesus. If we try to serve others outside of Christ we will inevitably end up burning ourselves out. Only in Christ will God provide. us infinite energy and joy to carry out His will.

Have this mind among yourselves,

which is yours in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

Phil 2:5-6