Loving Others...

i have been spending a lot of time in philippians recently...and in chapter 2, paul writes, "in humility consider others better than yourself".

i know this has huge potential and would make an immense impact on the world if fully lived out...but in practice, it is hard...really hard...

i have noticed this through couples that surround cailyn and i. i really like the marriage we have...i think it is something special and unique. however, i am realizing this causes me to be judgmental and to look down on those around us. i know that i should look for the best in people and that i should work to celebrate those things. i would be happier and the world would be a much better place. and yet it still feels like a major struggle to me. so why is this?

i think that for me, it stems from my competitive nature. i don't think i have ever really been cocky in competition, but being confident has never been a problem. however, i am realizing that for me, part of what that means is more times than not thinking i am at least as good if not better than those around me. and while this may be a beneficial thing on the basketball court, it is not so ideal in real life. i am not sure why i feel it so necessary to be the best at everything, but more times than not, that seems to be the case.

i think i would benefit from truly taking to heart the words of 1 Corinthians 12 that say:

"But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'"

see, i think it would make perfect sense to take these words one step further, because not only can the eye not say to the hand, "i don't need you", but i think it is equally important for the eye to acknowledge the fact that the hand is way better at it's job than the eye could ever be at doing the hand's job.

i have fallen many times into the trap of thinking that i need to be the best at everything...which easily translates into needing to be better than everyone else...which easily morphs into looking down on and judging others. if i could grasp the fact that i am an eye...and that i need to be the very best eye that i can be...it would free me up to be able to celebrate the hands and the heads, and that would be a huge step away from judging and looking down.

my friend jason says something along the lines of, "everyone is the best in the world at something". i want to daily be striving to figure out what the people that surround me are the best in the world at doing, and celebrate that...instead of looking down on them and working to feel like i am the best. it seems that then, "considering others better than myself", would be a much easier journey.

what about you? when you look down on people, what tends to lead you down that path?