Learning to be Last

Philippians 2:5-8 In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.

Conflict is, I guess, a fact of life. Some of it’s unavoidable, but a lot of it could be avoided with a simple change in thinking. A change of mind, as it were.

A little while back my wife and I moved from a house into a new apartment complex. Now, apartments of course are smaller than houses and what’s more, they’re much closer together. That means that people are living in much closer proximity to one another, giving rise to issues of noise – how people behave, their pets and all sorts of other things that come into play because of this closer proximity.

So it’s been interesting to see how that process has unfolded as new families, like us, have moved into the complex. Some talk a lot about their rights, and of course, they do have a right to peace and quiet, not that the place is all that noisy mind you.

It seems to me that the trick here is, striking a balance between what I’m entitled to, and what others are entitled to. And part of that I think is, learning to lose. Learning to not get your way. Learning to not get what you think you’re entitled to. And, learning to do that with a good heart.

Philippians 2:5-8 In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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