11-20-2023

Good Morning All,

             Romans 12:10; “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

        “Women and children first!”  That used to be the standard way that any crisis would be handled.  If a ship was sinking, it was “women and children” into the lifeboats first.  If you were evacuating a building that was on fire you would evacuate “women and children” first.  It was a bit of chivalry, men protecting the weaker ones.  It was a bit of chauvinism; get the weaker and more emotional ones away so the men can figure out what to do.  Whatever it was and however you view it; the idea of self-sacrifice was expected.

    If a man was found to be safe while “women and children” were still in danger, he would be viewed as a coward and something “less than a man.”  It would be a legacy hard to live down.  Of course, after the women and children were safe it was “every man for himself;” so much for chivalry.  Self-survival kicked in fairly quickly.

    Yet one of Scriptures most enduring teachings is the one where we are to put others ahead of ourselves.  We are to deny ourselves; we are to take a servant’s form; we are to put others first.  We are to play second fiddle in life.  This teaching causes many to chafe.  We don’t like the idea of putting ourselves in second place; yet we are supposed to.  Part of this comes from the very nature of sinful man and places us back where we are supposed to be; one of God’s children.

    It is our sinful nature to want to be first.  It is our sinful nature to want to satisfy our own desires and lusts ahead of others.  It also goes against God’s design.  God’s design is to have us live as his children; take care of creation and to take care of each other.  If we are to take care of each, we have to place the needs of others ahead of our wants and even some of our needs.  This is the highest form of faithfulness that we can exhibit.  It is even higher than always going to church.  Seeing to the needs of others demonstrates our faith far better than every hymn sung.  Helping to reconcile each person we meet back to God and to their fellow man is one of the primary tasks that Jesus gives to his Church.  Love one another or they will know of the love that we have for each other. 

    It takes some conscious effort to put others first, but this is our calling.  God calls us to love others as we love ourselves.  We can’t do that if we think we need four items to the other person’s one item.  We need to see their needs as our needs.  We need to remember that all of us are facing our own battles with the devil; some may be less obvious than others.  We need to remember that God uses us as his hands and feet and voice here on earth.  Trust God and enjoy playing second fiddle; God gives us great joy when we do.

Father, enable me to love those around me and to show them your great love through me.  Guide me by your Spirit that I may be patient and humble, kind, and thoughtful.  Be with those who feel trampled on and left out.  Guide me to them that through me your grace may abound.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret