Esteeming Others
God has brought this verse to my attention several times this year and it has been making me stop and think about my own heart.
I think most of us would say we don't want to be selfish or prideful. I certainly don't. But if I'm being honest, I can still find myself making life about me without even realizing it.
How am I being treated?
Do they appreciate me?
Do they understand me?
What about what I need?
What about what I want?
And sometimes those questions aren't wrong. We all have needs, boundaries, and things that matter. But this verse reminds me that following Christ means I can't make myself the center of everything.
Paul tells us, “Let each esteem others better than himself.”
That doesn't mean I have to believe that I'm less valuable than everyone else. It doesn't mean I have to ignore my own needs or allow people to mistreat me. I don't believe God calls us to live that way.
To me, it means choosing to look beyond myself.
Choosing to notice someone else's needs.
Choosing to listen instead of always needing to be heard.
Choosing to celebrate someone else's accomplishments without feeling like they take anything away from my own.
Choosing to serve when I could be served.
Choosing to love when it would be easier to walk away.
And maybe most importantly, choosing to remember that my worth doesn't depend on being better than someone else.
I don't have to compete for my value.
I don't have to prove that I'm important.
I don't have to be the smartest person in the room, have the last word, or receive recognition for everything I do.
Because my identity is found in Christ.
And when I truly understand that, it becomes easier to lift someone else up.
Looking to Jesus
What makes this verse even more powerful to me is what Paul says next.
He doesn't simply tell us to be humble. He points us to Jesus.
Philippians 2:5 says:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus had every reason to be exalted, yet He willingly humbled Himself and became a servant.
The King became a servant.
The One who deserved glory chose sacrifice.
And He did it for us.
That puts my own little moments of pride into perspective.
If Jesus could humble Himself for the sake of others, how can I refuse to humble myself when God gives me the opportunity to love, serve, encourage, or put someone else first?
I know I won't get this right every time. I am still learning. God is still working on my heart, and I am grateful that He doesn't expect me to arrive at perfection before He can use me.
Sometimes humility looks like saying, “I was wrong.”
Sometimes it looks like letting something go.
Sometimes it means celebrating someone else's victory.
Sometimes it means listening instead of defending myself.
Sometimes it means putting someone else's needs ahead of my own.
And sometimes it simply means asking God to help me see people the way He sees them.
A Different Way to Live
The world often teaches us to look out for number one.
Build yourself up.
Make sure you're recognized.
Get ahead.
Protect your position.
Make sure everyone knows what you've accomplished.
But Jesus shows us another way.
Serve.
Love.
Give.
Encourage.
Forgive.
Lift others up.
Put others first.
That doesn't make us weak.
It makes us more like Him.
And I think that's what Philippians 2:3 is really asking of me—not to think less of myself, but to stop making myself the center of the story.
Because when my eyes are fixed on Jesus, I have less need to prove myself.
I can celebrate someone else's blessings.
I can cheer someone else on.
I can extend grace.
I can serve without needing recognition.
I can love without keeping score.
And I can remember that there is plenty of room in God's kingdom for someone else to shine without making my own light any dimmer.
Lord, give me the heart of Jesus.
Help me lay down selfish ambition and pride. Help me see others through Your eyes. Help me to listen more, serve more, encourage more, and love more.
And when I'm tempted to make everything about me, remind me that it was never about me in the first place.
It has always been about You.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
That is the heart I want.
Not a heart that asks, “What can I get?”
But a heart that asks,
“How can I love?”
“How can I serve?”
“How can I bless someone today?”
Because that is the kind of heart that looks a little more like Jesus.
