Help Others Succeed.

Many moons ago I was a manager of a Mimi's Cafe. One Friday night a cook didn't show up. So, for the busiest part of the night I had to help in the kitchen. The cooks suggested that I take the wheel position. The wheel calls out the food and sends out the food. It really is the lead position and normally should be the best cook. What the team did was help me lead them, considering me better than them. For the success of the restaurant, the cooks helped me run the wheel. That is sort of the picture Paul is painting here. 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4 

Christianity has a completely different focus than the world. For the world it's all about the bling and making yourself look good. Christ came into the world to die, so that we might live. He came to seek and save those who were lost: you and me.  

The funny thing is that the most successful leaders, the Good to Great Leaders (a book by Jim Collins) all seem to be men who realize that when their employees are successful, they are successful and they rarely seek the spotlight. I have worked for a lot of different people and the best are those who tried to help me succeed. Actually, they tried to help everyone succeed. 

Considering others better than yourself requires humility. Humility is not the act of putting oneself down. It is not saying that you are not as good as you think you are. (Think about that one.) Humility is knowing who you are before God. God will give you gifts and talents. Those gifts and talents are to build others up, not yourself. 

Here's the simple to do: Seek to find out what would help others. Do it. 

Father, help us to consider others better than ourselves. Thank you Jesus that you came to die for me. Praise be to you in us today!