Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:1-4 (day seven)
“regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
The word “merely” changes the way this verse is understood. Without it we would say, “Don’t look out for your own interests. Others are way more important than you.” Why is it important that we establish that we are important too? If we do not love our self, we will not be able to love others.
There is tension here. One cannot have too high of a self-esteem but also cannot have too low of a self-esteem. Both extremes lead to the neglect of someone’s soul; other’s are neglected with high self-esteem and our own is neglected with low self-esteem. To bridge this tension, we must remember that we are children of the almighty God, created perfectly, and loved by Him. Therefore, we are worthy of being loved and are called to help others know this same type of love.
Spot on, Rick!
Sooo good! AMEN!