Esteeming Others

Throughout Scripture we are taught to put others before ourselves and to serve each other.  Philippians 2:3-4 tells us not to do things through selfish ambition and conceit, but to esteem others as better than ourselves.  These verses teach us to not only look out for our own interests, but also to look out for the interests of others.

In a society where everyone looks out for Number 1, these words grab ahold of us and encourage us to have a different world view than the average person does.  Spiritual maturity is determined by our willingness to sacrifice our own desires for the interests of the kingdom of God and for the benefit of other people.

The door that requires the most sacrifice to enter will always take us to the highest level.  It is together, not individually, that we come to know the secrets of the Lord.  Many people say, “I can just be a Christian on my own.  I don’t need to go to church.”  They are missing the whole point.  Church is more than a place to go and sing some songs and hear a sermon.  It’s a place to come into relationship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.  When we are in relationship, we can serve each other, pray for each other, give counsel to each other, and learn from each other.  When we are in brother and sister relationships with others who are God’s kids, it requires sacrifice when they have needs that we can help meet.  But it also brings joy and the opportunity to receive from each other as well.  Together we grow into the people that God wants us to be.

It amazes me how many times a fellow brother or sister in the Lord will share something that they have learned through experience, Bible study, or devotional readings, and it will minister right into my spirit to help me grow.  What others have learned through servanthood speaks to my heart and challenges me to be a better servant of God and of others.  When I hear from others who have sacrificed much and then have experienced the blessings of God, it inspires me to move forward in my own spiritual life as well.

We need each other!  So if you haven’t been to church in awhile, look at it in a new light.  And if you are going to church but are not walking in relationships with others that will spur you on in your own spiritual growth, start serving people there!  You’ll soon have those relationships.

Developing a Servant’s Heart Developing a Servant’s Heart will equip you to serve the people around you: family, co-workers, neighbors—the people that you interact with every day. You will find very practical suggestions and principles, drawn from the Bible. Train to become a servant, and in so doing, it will help you to become more like Christ. 10 lessons include teaching and thought provoking application questions from Dr. Stanley. Uses the New King James Version®.