The Things of Others

 Philip 2:4
 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

We all have our own things to do. Some of those things are vital to our survival and well-being. But the things that Paul is referring to are those things that bring us pleasure and ease of life. The attraction of the things of this world has a way of taking our eyes off the things that are more important to keep us faithful to Christ. Jesus said not to worry about the things of tomorrow, for the Father is sufficient to provide for things today. Instead, we have to consider the needs of others, and be more concerned that the things of others are attended to. We have to look out for each other as the body of Christ. There are those in our community of believers that need a helping hand. It is good to remember them in prayer, but the community of the local church should put action to their prayers and reach out to help those who are suffering emotionally, financially, and socially.  We are admonished to “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor, preferring one another” (Roman 10:12).  God’s word not only teaches us to reach out to others who do not know Christ, but we also demonstrate Christian grace to others who are part of the family of God. The world looks at the church and needs to see that they are united in love. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have loved one to another.” (John 13:35). The trademark of a healthy church is seen in the way they treat each other. Yes, we should not neglect our own health and well-being in all ways, but in doing so, let us not forget the things of others.

The Things of this World

Job 1:21

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

How obvious it is when we attend a funeral that the person laid in the casket no longer is in possession of their worldly things. Without the life flowing blood of life, the flesh on the bones slowly decomposes and we return back to the earth. All of our striving for the things of this world are counted as insignificant compared to the eternal things of God. Society has conditioned our minds and hearts to desire the things of this world, that the things of this world will bring happiness and contentment. To a degree, they do, but they only last for a season. It is necessary that we maintain a spiritual mind set that our treasures are not of this world, but we have set our hearts on things above. We are born into this world without possessions , and we will leave this life empty handed. We are grateful for what God gives us and He desires that we be good stewards of it, but all things belong to Him, and like Job, we commit our lives into His hands, and praise Him regardless of the circumstances 

Looking Out for Others

 Philippians 2:4
 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Jesus spoke similar words when he said to treat others the way you would want to be treated. Common phrases like, “I need to look after myself, because no one else will,” and “what’s in it for me,” are grounded in the carnal desire to please self without any regard to others. The golden rule of life in how we act can be summed up by putting Jesus first in our life, serving others in love, and taking care of our well-being emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The key to living each day with JOY is Jesus, Other, You. Living a life to serve is made possible when we realize that our service is towards God and not to man.  We are busy people with lots of responsibilities, but each day is given to us as an opportunity to serve others. Start each day and ask yourself, “How can I help someone today? Looking on the things of others and not just my own cares and burdens.