Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Paul’s letter to the people of Philippi talks a great deal about joy, how to find it, how to keep it, how to share it. He says we should be like Christ, who humbled himself, even to the point of dying on the cross, for our sake. It is the self-sacrifice that he points to, rather than the crucifixion itself. It’s not the gory reality of the cross that we should contemplate, but rather the fact that Christ was willing to literally give his life for others.
The accompanying reflection for this section of Philippians is from Robert Foster, He writes, “This principle of giving way for the good of others is at the heart of Paul’s ethical teaching.” Not only Paul, but I certainly Jesus supports this notion too. There is something satisfying about giving to others. We feel good when we help.
But even more than that, we feel deeply right about giving when it’s a sacrifice; when we have to suffer in order for the good of someone else, we know it’s right. I’m not talking about becoming a martyr so everyone knows you’re a martyr. I’m not talking about that false humility we see when some people over-extend themselves, and then want credit for doing so. I’m talking about those quiet, unacknowledged sacrifices we all make that result in someone else’s world a little better. That feels right, viscerally and inherently right. Even if no one else knows or sees, God knows and we know. That’s all that really matters.
This morning, I’m thinking about those opportunities to be self-sacrificing for others in a Christ-like, humble way. God will always see that, and that’s all that should matter.
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