Philippians 2:4

The essence of sin is selfishness! The rebellious spirit in each of us says to God, “I want to be in charge of my own life; I don’t want to follow you!” But then God saves us and sets us free from all that. He begins to turn us upward and outward, first toward Himself and then toward others. He sets us free in Christ to daily die to our old selves and old ways and to join Him in the new life of love. A sure sign that you are growing up in this new life is that you begin to develop a heart for the well-being and spiritual encouragement of others. Jesus creates in us a growing capacity to say “no” to me so that I can say “yes” to sacrificially serving and loving and blessing those around us. And let me tell you, you will never feel more alive and free than when God uses you as a conduit of His love to bless another person, especially one with significant needs!

PASSAGE: Philippians 2:4 - "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

PAUSE: Life is so much better when we stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about others. We need to take our eyes off ourselves and think more about our family and friends. Track the focus of your thoughts today. Are your thoughts more about you or about those who are around you?

PRAYER: Father, help me to focus. Help me to take my eyes off myself and to focus my eyes on those you have placed before me. Focus my thoughts today.