higher things

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Jullianna

Guest
#1
#1
[h=3]Philippians 2[/h]2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [SUP]2 [/SUP]then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [SUP]3 [/SUP]Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,[SUP]4 [/SUP]not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

What does the underlined part of this mean to you?
 
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iTOREtheSKY

Guest
#2
#2
For me it means making others #1 in life. I don't need to "look out for myself"-God has that covered & with that peace of knowing that I can be free to love & help others regardless of "reward" or a personal "self-satisfaction". Does that make any sense?
 
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Powemm

Guest
#3
#3
Let go and let god..
Being free in Him.. Being filled by Him to love others as He has loved you.. it is in the fruits of the spirit
Love , joy, peace, kindness, patience, and long suffering .. That reveals the fruits of the spirit .. Correcting in love never anger or harshness .. sharing with one another in and by our testimony , what Christ has done for us ..
Sharing our burdens with God first , our heart with God first.. Allowing Him to heal within our spirit first , so He may live other through us... Becoming the lamppost in the darkness " pointing" then towards Christ in their journey towards Him ... As Christ has done for us, becoming the bridge we have walked across so we may approach Gods throne directly.. As it is written
"approach my throne in boldness and in confidence ". This is the price Jesus paid for us so we can ..
 
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niceguyJ

Senior Member
#4
Feb 5, 2011
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#4
It means this: Realize you're no better than anyone else, and don't be a selfish jerk.
 
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SeatBelt

Guest
#5
#5
The application: Go ahead & volunteer to baby sit for that funeral, despite the busy weekend scheduled, God's gonna make sure the taxes get done on time. Place the children's needs above that of the parent, God will make sure that the parent's needs are sufficiently met.
The lesson: When I worry about me, I never have enough, my goals grow at least as fast as my attainment of goals - The carrot is Always at the end of the stick and sometimes the stick grows. When I place others first and serve with a Christ-like heart, without boasting or making show of my sacrifice, God sees and blesses that...with rewards either here, or in heaven (maybe both?).

You are a good Christian sister. Thank you for encouraging us all to think of that which is good, that which is holy. May God bless you - not that you may be blessed, but that others may see that blessing and want the walk with Christ that leads you to be blessed.
 
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zaoman32

Guest
#6
#6
placing a higher value on the lives of others than your own.
 
Markum1972

Markum1972

Senior Member
#7
Mar 25, 2013
1,165
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#7
It brought to mind these scriptures...

1 Corinthians 13
Love...
[SUP]5 [/SUP]Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Ephesians 5
[SUP]21 [/SUP]Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Isaiah 1
[SUP]18 [/SUP]Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

James 4
[SUP]0 [/SUP]Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. [SUP]11 [/SUP]Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
 
zeroturbulence

zeroturbulence

Senior Member
#8
Aug 2, 2009
24,598
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#8
Jullianna said:
Philippians 2

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [SUP]2 [/SUP]then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [SUP]3 [/SUP]Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,[SUP]4 [/SUP]not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

What does the underlined part of this mean to you?
Click to expand...
I think it pretty much means to be saintly. Something which might be difficult for some modern christians to swallow. It means to be humble, never boasting, always kind, never complaining, always willing to help anyone in need, always accepting God's will for your life, and always giving God the credit for every good thing that you do.
 
PopClick

PopClick

Senior Member
#9
Aug 12, 2011
4,056
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#9
Well, to put it simply... to me, it means that we should love others more than ourselves.
 
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psychomom

Guest
#10
#10
Jullianna said:
Philippians 2

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, [SUP]2 [/SUP]then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. [SUP]3 [/SUP]Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,[SUP]4 [/SUP]not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

What does the underlined part of this mean to you?
Click to expand...
okay, so forgive me because I get kinda excited...

but LOOK at what a Master Builder our Lord is! :) :)

because if each of us in the church is looking to the interests of the others, whose needs will go unmet?

that's right! nobody's! :)

love you, Julianna.
-ellie
 
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Shouryu

Guest
#11
#11
Chuck Missler tells a story of one of the most intelligent, Godly, successful people he'd ever worked with. In this man's office was a framed proverb hanging above his desk that simply said, "I am third." When Missler asked him what the phrase meant, his friend replied, "God first. Others, second."

Sums it up pretty well, I'd say.
 
rachelsedge

rachelsedge

Senior Member
#12
Oct 15, 2012
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#12
My grandmother always told me JOY: Jesus, Others, You.

To which someone else argued "That still puts you in the equation, that still means there's some focus on you." I would disagree and say that sometimes you do need to focus on yourself. Not in a selfish way, but in a way that acknowledges that you still need to take care of yourself. I don't know if that makes sense. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have seen people run themselves into the ground taking care of other people, to the point where their health starts to deteriorate because they have never taken a step back to breathe.

Even Jesus took some time away from the crowds to be by Himself and be renewed by God. I guess that's my point.

But if someone had needed Him, right at the moment He was getting ready to leave, I'm sure He would have (and probably did) postpone His quiet time to be with that person. And that's as we should do. We should be looking out for others and also be available when they need us, even if it invades our "schedule" or wants.
 
DuchessAimee

DuchessAimee

Senior Member
#13
Apr 27, 2011
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#13
There is nothing wrong in taking care of yourself. You have to take care of yourself to take care of others. However, we should not be selfish or narcissistic in our endeavors. It's okay to pray for ourselves, it's okay to take time alone, it's required to spend time alone with God, and we should remember that the individual makes up the whole of society.

That being said, serving others first is a necessity. Preferring our brother or sister is a necessity. Even something as simple as serving someone dinner first, opening a door, a smile when we'd rather not, all of those things are taking care of others. Many times we think that caring for someone is providing something big. I'd like to argue that some of the most important things are small. Listening is a huge deal for people. Being heard and acknowledged can make or break a bad day. Keep in mind that life is made of small things. Life is micro, it's about the individual, taking each moment one at a time.
 
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Jullianna

Guest
#14
#14
psychomom said:
okay, so forgive me because I get kinda excited...

but LOOK at what a Master Builder our Lord is! :) :)

because if each of us in the church is looking to the interests of the others, whose needs will go unmet?

that's right! nobody's! :)

love you, Julianna.
-ellie
Click to expand...
Love you too, ellie :) Thanks everyone!
 
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