Priorities

In Luke chapter ten, an "expert in the law" tried to test Jesus by asking him, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  Jesus asked him what he had read in the Law (the Old Testament, the Torah) and the man replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind', and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  This led into the parable of the Good Samaritan, when the man asked Jesus who his neighbor was.  (See Luke 10:25-27)

When I was in Sunday School, one thing I learned was an acronym for JOY:
Jesus
Others
You

You will have joy, I was told, if your priorities are in this order.

A bit law-heavy, I feel, but it makes a good point nonetheless.  When God is my first priority and first interest, when I seek to love, honor and obey him in everything, then everything else falls into place.  When I am obeying God, then I will be loving and serving my neighbor--all those around me.  And I will have joy and contentment in obedience and loving others.  Paul wrote to the Philippians, "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.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."  (2:3-6)  Paul continues with a beautiful, hymn-like poem detailing the life, ministry, and humility of Jesus, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!" (2:6-8)

Jesus, although he was "in very nature God", did not take advantage of that equality.  He had his priorities in order: He first and foremost obeyed God, his Father, and then spent his entire ministry serving everyone with whom he came in contact.  His ultimate act of service was to give his own life for the sins of the whole world. If that's not an example of ultimate selflessness and sacrifice, I don't know what is.

Now, we as Christians aren't all called upon to die for others and for what we believe in.  But we can LIVE for God and for everyone around us!  I know if I was more focused on others than myself most of the time, my life would probably be a lot less frustrating.  I experienced the consequences of my own selfishness several times, rather painfully, this last week.

But I can imitate Christ.  I have the ultimate Example of Selflessness and Love and Giving and Kindness to emulate.  I will never do it perfectly, no.  But that same Example desires to help me imitate him, and when I fail, he's always ready to remind me of his forgiveness.

Today, by the grace of God, I want to imitate Christ.