“For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

— Mark 10:45

Instinctively, we know we should not be selfish. There is a problem, however, in doing that. Think about others? Forget yourself? If people are basically selfcentered, how can they do that?

There is only one answer to that question, my friends. When we receive Christ into our lives and hearts, we die to self; we are crucified with Christ and we find the God who provides all of our needs.

The reason people can’t forget themselves is because they are so needy. They are such pitiful, weak, temporal creatures, and yet Christ comes and meets all of these needs. Christ has promised to supply all of our needs out of His riches in glory. Therefore, because we have the guarantee that Christ is going to take care of us, we don’t have to manipulate them to do that because Christ has freely and graciously offered to do it for us Himself. We can begin to think differently of other people.

Because of selfishness and pride, we are always putting other people down. Yet every person has good points and bad points, and generally we tend to see the bad points. Author J. K. Morley said this: “I can complain because rosebushes have thorns or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses. It’s all [in] how you look at it.” Now think of your husband or wife or boss as that “bush.” Which do you do? Do you complain because bosses or wives or husbands have thorns, or do you rejoice because they have roses as well?

Jehovah-Jireh, we thank You for supplying all our needs and providing for everything we need for body and soul. Help us to be helpful to others and to focus on the good in them…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
SEE THE GOOD IN OTHERS.

“Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

— Philippians 2:4

Did you ever hear of the great lesson learned by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., founder of the Rockefeller dynasty? By the time he was 33, he had become a millionaire. By the age of 53, he had become the world’s first billionaire. He was the richest man in all the world. But Drs. S. E. McMillan and David E. Stern, in their book None of These Diseases, say that Rockefeller had traded his happiness and his health for his wealth.

Rockefeller had developed a condition called Alopecia, and as a result lost all of his hair. He looked like a mummy. Although he made a million dollars a week, a biographer says that he enjoyed absolutely nothing. He had lost his appetite and his sleep.

Then one night he realized that he was going to die soon, and he couldn’t take his wealth with him. That hit him like a bolt right out of the blue. He became totally depressed and overwhelmed. But then he had a brilliant idea.

Being a practical man, the next morning he got up and began to put his idea into practice. He started giving away money systematically. This focus on others caused a major turnaround. He eventually lived to 97.

He was living a happy life because he had simply made a discovery of that which Jesus told us long ago: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Rockefeller had learned to think of someone else other than just himself.

Father God, Giver of all gifts, give me strength for today to live a generous life today and to give of myself. Let Your generosity inspire me to also give generously to others…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH
WE CAN BE GENEROUS.

“For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.”

— Philippians 2:20

If you really want to stand out, think about others instead of just yourself. Most people do the opposite.

Years ago, a telephone company made a detailed study of telephone conversations to find out which word is the most frequently used. It is the same word that is most used in daily conversations. It is the word “I.” It was used 3,990 times in 500 telephone conversations. “I.” “I.” “I.” “I.” “I.” People think about themselves morning, noon, and after dinner, too, said Dale Carnegie.

On an airplane one time I sat next to a tennis pro. We had a very interesting conversation. I talked at length about her tennis, and she was very interested. Then I changed the subject and boom—her interest rate dropped to zero, instantly. I switched the subject back to her and immediately the dial went up to 100 again. She reminded me of “Edith,” a lady someone described as “a small country bounded on the north, east, south and west by Edith.”

There is not too great a market out there for your complaints. Someone said that you and I will discover that about 50 percent of the people don’t care what is wrong with you and the other 50 percent think you are getting what you deserve anyway.

In Christ, we are called to a life of unselfishness. Instead of “looking out for number one,” we are told to put others’ interest ahead of our own. May God free us from our selfishness.

Self-existing God, You made us for Yourself and You made us to make life better for each other. Help me today to take the focus off myself and my problems and to focus on the people You put in my path…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN FOCUS ON OTHERS.

“A man who has friends must show himself friendly.”

— Proverbs 18:24

Some people may wonder why they have so few friends. But the Bible says to have friends, you must be a friend.

Dale Carnegie in his famous book How To Win Friends and Influence People said this: “Why should people be interested in you unless you are first interested in them?”

A well-known maxim puts it this way:

I went out to find a friend,
but could not find one there.
I went out to be a friend,
and friends were everywhere.

Carnegie said that the greatest lesson he ever learned about human relations, he learned in his youth from a dog named “Tippy,” a little yellow-haired dog with a stub tail. When Tippy would see him coming, he would run up to him, his short stubby tail wagging so hard that his whole body was wagging. He would lick his hands and run around his ankles and want to be petted. He was so genuinely friendly to Carnegie that he just could not possibly keep from petting that little dog. Tippy knew a great lesson, a great secret about relationships. He had no lack of friends because he showed himself friendly.

Show yourself friendly; think about others. Instead, we are so eager to go out and wigwag people into being impressed with us, thinking they will then be our friends. People couldn’t care less about that.

It is good to make friends, especially those whom we can build up in Christ. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Triune God, You who created us for fellowship with You and with each other, I thank You today for my friends. Help me to be a good friend to those You have placed in my life…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
BE A GOOD FRIEND TODAY.

“Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8

The author William Thackeray once said: “The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.”

Some people never learn that lesson. They are miserable, and their life is a failure because they never learned that simple truth. I know individuals who have been through one job after another, after another, after another. Why? Because of “those folks over there,” that’s why. Those “no-good, low-down, malicious, gossiping, hateful people.” They are going to find when they move to a new job that the people there are just the same.

The mirror of the world is a mirror that reflects quite accurately a picture of ourselves. Thackeray continued “Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly, compassionate boomerang.”

As we think in our hearts, so our faces reflect and so our words embody our thoughts. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8 that we should focus on the good things. May I ask you: How much time did you spend reflecting on those things this past week? We probably take it very lightly and then wonder why things are so difficult in the world.

God of grace and beauty, fill my heart and mind with loveliness. Make me a beautiful person that I might reflect Your beauty to the people I meet today…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN FOCUS
OUR MINDS ON THE LOVELY AND PURE.

“The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek He will teach His way.”

— Psalms 25:9

There is a story about a ship that was sailing down the coast, and it had to turn into the port. But it was a black night, overcast, no moon, no stars, only a few lights at that time along the shore. How was the captain ever going to find the port? A friend was with him, and he had no idea in that day how in the world this captain was ever going to find his way into that port and into the bay without just running the ship right aground.

And the captain said, in this case it was very simple. “You see that red light over there and that one there and that one there?” He said, “Those lights will eventually line up in a straight line, and at that point I turn 180 degrees to the starboard and sail right into the port.”

That reminds us that there are at least three ways that God does guide the humble of heart. The first of which is by the Scripture, and there is much guidance in the Scripture for us. It is, we should always remember, the only infallible guidance that we have. Then there is guidance through circumstances, and there is guidance through the Holy Spirit. Now certainly the Holy Spirit’s guidance would be completely adequate, but since we have fallen into sin—though He is broadcasting properly—our receptors are dented and marred and distorted and there is so much static we don’t hear clearly. But Scripture is our infallible guide.

Lord, we would be so lost without Your Word. We thank You for the light it daily sheds on our way. Help us to take our guidance from You always. Lord, give me strength for today to follow You where You choose to lead me…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND BY HIS SPIRIT,
WE ARE NEVER WITHOUT COUNSEL.

“…older women should be…teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children…”

— Titus 2:3-4

God can use you whatever your age. I think of a railroad conductor, who worked until he was sixty-five. Because of his job, he didn‘t get to spend much time in church. When he retired, he wanted to serve the Lord full time. He decided that he was going to invite people to church.

He went around to houses, knocked on doors, gave some kind of literature, and invited people to come to his church. After he died, it was discovered that he had brought 867 people into that church—after he retired.

Are you too old to do anything? I think not. In fact, retired people have more time than most working people. They could use their talents and their energy to serve the Lord and make a great impact.

I think of some people so old that they can do nothing but lie in bed or sit in a wheelchair all day. But if they still have their faculties, they can do something very significant. They can pray. They can pray for their family, for the church, for the pastor, for the country, for the state government, and so on. They can end up having a huge impact for the kingdom through this act of service.

Paul notes that the older women are to teach the younger ones in the church. Could it be, as we see many Americans getting older and older, we have lost sight of their potential service in God’s kingdom? As long as we are in the world, we are in His service.

Our Savior and God, we make ourselves available today to do that which You would have us do. Give us compassion for those who are needy, spiritually or otherwise…

LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH FOR TODAY TO SERVE YOU
WITH ALL MY HEART, NO MATTER MY AGE.

“He said, ‘O my Lord, send, I pray, by the hand of whomever else You will send.’”
— Exodus 4:13

Some people think they are too old to do something significant in life. But I think of a gentleman who really never did much of anything. He dropped out of school and went to work in a store where he worked for about six months and got fired. That was just a picture of what was to come. He got fired from one job after another. This pattern lasted  for decades.

Then one day he got a letter in the mail. It was a letter from Social Security, congratulating him for having reached the end of his working career and included a check. But he refused to quit working.

He was eventually able to buy a small beat-up old building that had been a restaurant and turned it into a decent looking place where he could sell food. What he really liked to do was to cook chicken. So he started selling chicken there, and the people liked it. He had a special recipe—a secret recipe. Finally, his business spread to franchises in other states around the country and around the world.

God blessed Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and he succeeded enormously. You’re never too old to make a contribution in life. Look at Moses, who may well have thought he was washed up at 40, tended sheep for 40 years, but was then called by God at age 80 to serve the Lord in mighty ways for the next 40 years.

Dear God, thank You that You care about us no matter how old we might be. Thank You that You can use us whatever age we may be. Help us to not sell ourselves short because of age or anything else…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH WE CAN SERVE HIM,
WHATEVER CONDITION WE’RE IN.