Can we say "Others?"

Sunday I taught from Philippians 2.13-14. One of the things that has continued to be evident from the study of Philippians that I've been doing is simply the concept of OTHERS. You can't read the New Testament (or even the OT, for that matter) without being struck by the "one anothers" in the Bible.

The Bible is primarily a book guiding our relationships with the Father and our relationships with others. We are told to "work out" our salvation, and I think that primarily means to get out of you what is put in you by God. When we trust Jesus to be our Lord and commit to follow Him with our lives, we given so much by Him. The rest of our life becomes a great struggle to allow what God has put in us to be worked out of us. Our default is to just keep good things to ourselves. It's the epitome of selfishness.

So, try this this week:

? On Sunday afternoons, create a "Focus List." Put on the list everything that is coming up for the next week - meetings, classes, appointments, etc. Then simply write "OTHERS" on that list. Begin to think and meditate on how you might shape your week and your days to include others in them. Write a note of encouragement to someone, send someone an anonymous financial gift that you know is struggling, make a phone call, mow a yard while someone is away, etc. Just begin to tear down the throne of self and replace it with a healthy, Christ-centered love for others.