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Looking Out for the Interests of Others

byMarci Ferrell
As wives and mothers we spend our days looking to the interests of others. There is much to do in caring for a family and home. @mferrell
Do nothing from selfish ambition 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. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 2:3-5

As wives and mothers we spend our days looking to the interests of others.  There is much to do in caring for a family and home.

 

As we go about our day do we think of our husbands and children as more significant than ourselves?  Do we truly look to their interests above our own with a joyful heart?  We are called to have the attitude of humble submission to one another that Christ Himself showed us as He laid down His life for us.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8
 
How can we live as humble servants considering others better than ourselves? It is only by the work and power of the Holy Spirit within us.  God’s Word tells us we have the mind of Christ and we can have a Christ like attitude.
 
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:16
 

As a grandmother I find such delight in every moment spent with my grandchildren.  I cherish and find joy in everything about them.  My to do list before me stops as they enter my presence and I find myself crawling around on the floor with them and taking the time to truly enter their worlds.

As I was playing with them one day I realized when was the last time I wholeheartedly entered my husbands world and put his interests above my own?  My children?  My friends and family?

 
How many times do we put our desires or needs above taking the time to play with our children?  Meeting the needs of our husband?  Helping a friend or neighbor in need?  It takes time and it takes laying down our lives to put the needs of others above ourselves.  Quick reminder again – who is my example?  Christ Himself.  
 
May our prayer be to live a life as Christ did by freely serving as we have been freely served.  May we put on the mind of Christ.
 
May we take the time to give our husbands our undivided attention.  May I look my children in the eye when talking to them and focus on them, not the next item on my to do list.  May I take the time to meet that friend and see if there is a burden I can help her with.
 
I encourage you to find joy in the fleeting moments we have with our loved ones and humbly put their needs above our own. 
 
There is no contentment found in a life of self-centeredness, but true contentment and joy is found as we look to put others above ourselves.  Let us look to Jesus Christ who is our perfect example.
 
The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. The
Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment. ‘If a man will let
himself be lost for My sake,’ Jesus said, ‘he will find his true self.’
~ Elisabeth Elliot

Related Resources:

Putting on an Attitude of Love in Your Home 

Loving our Children Part One and Part Two

Loving Our Husbands

Pleasing Our Husbands

The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

Related posts:

Here are some thoughts next time you have a sin issue that you aren’t sure how to address with your husband. @mferrellAddressing Our Husband’s Sin My main reason for blogging is to continue to share with others what the Lord is teaching me in my various roles He has called me to as a Christian woman, wife, mother and now grandmother. @mferrellTop 10 Articles & Podcasts of 2018 How can we as believers "put on" an attitude of love in our homes? What does it look like to "put off" sinful responses and attitudes and "put on" God-honoring attitudes?  @mferrellEP 18: Putting on an Attitude of Love in Our Homes Sharing some of the lessons I have learned from my grandmother that I have brought into my mothering and my grandmothering. @mferrellCherishing the Love of my Grandmother

5 Comments

  1. Barbara Guest says:

    I so appreciate your insight and encouragement. Learning how to glorify God in being a wife and homemaker is of great interest to me. Thank you! I look forward to finding more gems on your website.

    1. Marci Ferrell says:

      Thank you for being here Barbara :). Let me know if you need anything. Much love xo

  2. Awesome post! I am so guilty of putting my husband on the back burner. I know he says he doesn’t mind but who would always want to come in last place? Your post has inspired me to make a more conscious effort to put him first.

  3. This is so good. Thank you. I find that I’m much better at serving my husband and my children, than I am at serving others outside of that. I feel that my time is too tight, and I don’t want anything in my home…including them…to suffer for my being committed to someone else. That sounds terrible, I know. The Lord has been whispering to me lately that I need to spread some of that serving to others. So, your post is greater confirmation of that. Thank you.

    1. Marci Ferrell says:

      Jessica I can relate to you on that one too. It can be hard to find a proper balance when there are so many needs within our own families. I’ve been trying to get better to pray about outside ministry opportunities and make sure to take time to schedule them in my calendar each week. Also, just allowing our lives to be spontaneously opened to the needs that arise. Thank you so much for sharing.

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