YOU BEFORE ME

The New Testament is full of references to the point that we are to put others ahead of ourselves.  We will look at this principle a little closer in this blog entry.

John the Baptist gave us a good example of this attitude when he realized that Jesus had to be put ahead of himself.  He was asked if he was the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet.  His answer in John 1 was "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."

There is a very powerful passage in Romans 12 that reads like this: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another......Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another...."

In Philippians 2, "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord,  of one mind.  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

We see the servant attitude throughout the teaching of the NT; Jesus taught us this many times, but certainly with the washing of His apostle's feet.  The Christian must live this attitude to be a true follower of Jesus.

Thank you for reading again.  May God bless you.