Count Others More Significant Than Yourselves

Hello, friends. I've written a devotion for you tonight. I'm a little out of practice, but here you go!

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

My youth group went bowling today. The youth know each other fairly well and always enjoy hanging out with each other. They had a blast, cheering each other on for strikes and gutter balls alike, playing with each other's phones and sharing food with one another.

It would have been easy for them to avoid and ignore my foster daughter as she was dancing around them, insisting on high-fives and hugs and not always factoring in boundaries or personal space. It would have been easy for them to give her the minimum interaction that they could get away with. It would have even been easy for them to ask me to keep her under control.

They didn't do any of those things. Instead, when my daughter wanted to give them high-fives for luck, they responded with enthusiasm and even started to ask for them. When my daughter got a strike, they cheered her on like there was no tomorrow. When my daughter needed help with the bumpers, they jumped in and figured them out for her. They did this all without my prompting.

Now, I don't know for sure why they did all this. I think there are two possible reasons: they wanted to show kindness and respect for her, or they wanted to show kindness and respect for me. Either way, they exemplified Philippians 2:3. Instead of thinking of themselves, they counted either her or me (or, likely, both) as more significant.

Isn't it amazing, then, to think of what Jesus did for us? He had the perfect life. It would have been easy for Him to stay in heaven, where nothing could ever go wrong and nobody could ever bother Him. But he didn't do that. He came to earth and met us on our terms. We were broken and dead in our sins, unable to help ourselves, so He helped us. He sacrificed everything to give us the kindness and respect that we didn't deserve. Jesus counted us as more significant than Himself, even at the cost of His life.

The theme for the National Youth Gathering next month is "In Christ Alone." Philippians 2 explains that this attitude that we are called to have comes not from ourselves, but from Christ's example and through His grace. Without Christ, my youth wouldn't be able to put my daughter above themselves. But with Christ, they did exactly that.

What can you do with Christ?