Putting Others First

In 2010 I led a group on a mission trip to Haiti. It was perhaps the hottest weather I had ever been in—and keep in mind that I was living in the desert of southern Arizona at the time! I remember laying in bed counting down the seconds until the oscillating fan swung back around to me. One night when the electricity went out and the fan wouldn’t work, I actually got down and laid on the tile floor because that, at least, felt cool. 

Driving around Port-au-Prince was not easy either. The roads were bad and traffic was often heavy, so the going was slow. Additionally, the air conditioning didn’t make it to the back seat of the van so car rides were often unpleasant. 

Several days into the trip, I realized that one young man was always sitting in the back seat of the van. I watched to see if this was intentional or was happening by accident, but it was quite clear that he was choosing to sit in the back. Later, when we were alone, I asked him why he was choosing to sit in the back all the time. He explained to me that he knew there were some other team members who couldn’t climb to the back very easily and didn’t handle the heat as well. He wanted to be sure seats in the front were available for them. 

Where did this extraordinary mindset come from? How did this young man develop eyes for others that allowed him to see what others needed and joyfully sacrifice for their sake?   

Philippians 2:3-4 holds the key. Verse 3 addresses a very difficult concept—Christian humility. It is easy to misunderstand it in a way that leads to inappropriate self-loathing. However, Christian humility is not about assigning greater worth to someone else, but how you value them. I’ve heard it said that the Apostle Paul didn’t believe we should “think less of ourselves but think of ourselves less.” 

Do you value others as important? Do you consider your own interests at the expense of others or do you consider theirs as well? In fact, to take it one step further, do you take joy in the joy of others? When your child interrupts your entertainment to ask you to read to him or her, do you do so begrudgingly or do you take joy in the satisfaction of your child? When your sacrifice leads to your discomfort but to the advantage of another, does it bring you joy?

If you’re answers to the above questions aren’t flattering, you’re not alone. We are, by nature, self-centered people who feel entitled to what others owe us. It takes a work of God to undo this. 

Do you long to walk through life thinking of others instead of focusing on what others owe you? Then meditate on this. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). When God owed you nothing, he gave you everything. 

Pray and Journal—Take a few moments now to pray that God would equip you with eyes for others and a heart that authentically delights in the satisfaction of others.