Others First #190

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others.

Are you selfish or selfless? Two well known quotes about selfishness reflect on the verses above: "Selfishness is that detestable vice which no one will forgive in others, and no one is without in himself." ~Henry Ward Beecher and "He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies." ~ Tertullian

No one likes a selfish person. Maybe that is why selfish person. Maybe that is why selfish people often find themselves alone. Are you ever lonely? Do you ever feel like people don't like you or that there must be something wrong with you? There is a great formula that will really help. Forget about yourself. Think God first and others next.

The words of Jesus point out that to really find yourself you must lose yourself. Lose yourself by looking to the needs of others. Selfishness will lead you to self-pity and depression. If you will look to the needs of others you will discover a new joyous dimension of living. Think of others as more important than yourself. See what you can do for someone else today. And don't expect recognition or reward.

Selfishness can cause you to cling to things and to be too demanding of others. Selfishness ruins relationships and complicates your life. How do you know if you are selfish? Maybe you find yourself without close friends, with broken relationships, a lot of material things, and miserable. You may reflect a life of always wanting your way, always wanting to be in charge, blaming others and refusing to admit wrongdoing. What can you do?

Admit you are selfish. Learn to give instead of receive. Be patient with yourself. It will take time to change. Be patient with those you have offended with your selfishness. They will take time to believe you have changed. Depend on God for everything. He is the One who is to be in charge. Thank God for the changes He is making in your life.

______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in beautiful Tempe, AZ

What a great week! It was Spring Break for the area schools and Sandy and I took advantage of the boys being off school to take them camping. We had a great time. The boys took along their iPhones and iTouch and made movies. The picture on the Verde River was the last scene of the movie. They enjoyed making the movie and we laughed at their imaginations and creativity.

On the way home we counted the number of electronic devices we all had taken along. In total there was 19 different devices. So much for roughing it. All this was done without wi-fi. Now that is really roughing it. We did have a couple of devices with 4G.

The best part was just spending time together, sharing stories, laughing at one another's stories and jokes, and just loving one another. We are so proud of Bennett, Burke and Collin. They are special guys. They are all followers of Jesus Christ, faithful in their churches and good students at school. We love them dearly.

Sandy is still teaching her ladies Bible study on Tuesday mornings. She is really enjoying teaching and also getting acquainted with the women in her class. She has been teaching about women in the Bible who had difficult times.

Sunday our Sunday School class had a luncheon together. It is so good to have a group of friends to share food and fellowship. It is a great class. We are so blessed to be a part.

I will be preaching at First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix on April 1st. It will be the second time this year to preach in that wonderful church. They are currently searching for a new pastor. Pray for them that God will send the right pastor for them.

My mom's sister, Ruby Tucker, passed away on Sunday morning. I will miss her. We have been emailing and calling one another during the past year or so. When Sandy and I visit my home town we stayed with her. It will be strange to not have her there. She also went to the nursing home to see my Dad three times a week. He will miss her greatly. She was a very unselfish person, always giving her time and energy to those who needed help. She will be missed.

I appreciate your prayers. God has truly answered so many. Thank you for caring so much. May God bless you this week with a renewed walk with Him. May He bring you encouragement in whatever you face. ~ DGW