Don’t be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 (GW)
Parents like to brag about their children, and I’m no exception. So let me tell you how proud I was of my daughter, Holly, when my husband and I visited over a long Memorial Day weekend. My son-in-law’s mom was also visiting, so Holly had planned special meals. On Monday, I helped her make side dishes to accompany the brisket smoking on the grill. Then, before dinner, she prepared lasagna from scratch, salad, and homemade rolls for neighbors who had a newborn baby. She started to make a dessert for them, but I talked her into sharing the one she’d already made for us.
The next time we visited, Holly was on crutches from a broken foot, our grandson was facing serious surgery, and our son-in-law had deployed. A few days after we arrived, I learned that Holly had planned to double a recipe for dinner that night so we could share with another neighbor who’d just had a baby. Yes, it was an inconvenient time, but Holly and a neighbor had organized a Care Train for the subdivision, and no one had signed up for the Fourth of July.
Like earthly parents, God feels pleasure when He sees His children doing things worth bragging about. And what better way to please Him than by imitating Jesus? That means serving others with a self-sacrificial love—even when it’s inconvenient or costly. Putting others’ needs above our own desires. Grabbing every opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Every day we have the chance to give God more reasons to feel proud of us.
Faith Step: Each day, think of ways you can imitate Jesus by setting aside your agenda in order to meet someone else’s needs. Imagine the pleasure that gives Him.
