One Word
This winter on The Daily Pattern we’re in a series called One Word. Each day we take one word – a feeling or circumstance – and bring a word from God to it. Let the Word of God speak to your life.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) O Lord, I suffer grief and loss. You alone are my comfort. Amen.
Word: Philippians 2:3
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Meditation
Selflessness by Grace Herzog
At dinnertime, many people snag the slice of pizza with the most toppings. When it’s time to watch TV, they grab the remote so they can watch the movies they want to watch. Even when the pandemic hit, people flocked to stores, and before anyone knew it, there was no toilet paper in sight.
Oftentimes, the world we live in revolves around the individual. Selfish tendencies control the little actions of our day to the politics governing our very lives.
Yet God calls us to be selfless in a world dominated by selfishness. He tells us to be humble and “do nothing from rivalry or conceit.”
There are so many Bible verses commanding Christians to act selflessly. Verses like love your neighbor as you love yourself. Or in Corinthians describing love as not self-serving. We even hear sermons calling us to act more like Jesus every Sunday. But we’re not Jesus. I’m certainly not Jesus. In fact, most of the time I’m the exact opposite: I’m judgmental, I get easily agitated, and it seems like I always find a way of placing myself in the center of the universe. Acting selfless—acting like Christ—is a constant struggle.
Selflessness, in theory, sounds easy. However, we all fall short without the love of Christ. Jesus is, after all, the ultimate example of selflessness. He laid down his life so that we could have an eternal one with him. But too often we forget he lives within us. Too often we rely on ourselves alone to carry a humble attitude and then wonder why it’s so difficult to do so. Only with the love of Christ empowering us can we count others “more significant” than ourselves as Paul writes in Philippians. Only with Christ in our hearts will we be able to show unconditional love to those around us, the definition of true selflessness.
Dear Lord, as I go throughout my week, help me learn from Christ’s example of selflessness. Guide me to display your unconditional love in a world where selfishness reigns. Amen.
Prayer for Life as a Child of God
· For the Father to give me care and guidance.
· For forgiveness when I wander and want my own way.
· For the Father to keep me childlike in faith even as I age.
· For growth in faith, that I love and trust in God above all things.
· For strength to obey God.
· For the Father to heal my hurts.
· For assurance when I doubt.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, your ways are not our ways. Teach us your will, even when it appears backwards. We want to know you. We want what you want. Thy will be done, in Jesus’ name. Amen.