3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. What a different world we would live in if we only followed this verse. But doing so is a daily fight against our very sinful nature which tells us to love ourselves and put ourselves first. Consciously considering others is not easy and must constantly be in the forefront of our minds.
I remember when my kids were first learning to talk, one if their first words was “mine.” As a mother my heart wanted my children to have what they wanted. But I knew that I had a responsibility to teach my children that the world did not revolve around them. They needed to know how to put the needs of others above that of their own. And they needed to know that they would have to fight against their own sinful natures in order to do so.
The early teen years can be one of the biggest learning opportunities for our kids. They go through a time when they are number one and no one else matters. If you are not careful, you can alienate them during these years because they can be pretty hard to get along with. They need guidance without judgement through this time. If we ignore this behaviour, our kids grow from selfish children to selfish adults who are bad friends, uncooperative co-workers, selfish spouses and eventually bad parents.
Think about what a different world this would be of we all followed this verse. Wow! We’d all have better friendships, better marriages, better work environments and better relationships in general. This verse is not to be ignored.
