Esteem: February 18, 2013

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2013

ESTEEM

DEFINITION:

Set a high value on; regard favorably; to have respect or admiration for.

SCRIPTURE:

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves." Philippians 2:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Paul wrote to the believers in the church at Philippi to serve with the same attitude of humility as that of Jesus Christ and not to do anything for the sole purpose of bringing glory to themselves. He encouraged them to be like-minded so that they would be one in spirit and purpose. In order to be unified, they would have to be humble and put aside their selfish ambitions and conceit.

When any of us are truly humble, as Christ was humble, it will be evident in how we esteem others. True followers of Christ will esteem others better than themselves.

Many people today think they are better than anyone else. They have such an elevated opinion of themselves that they think they know more about issues than anyone else. They seek to promote their own selfish ambitions with no regard for others. It is more than likely that we all have known such people and we have experienced the discord that is caused by that kind of person.

Many people, Christians included, evaluate themselves by the standards of the world. They are only concerned about how the world esteems them. What should concern us is not how the world esteems us, but how God esteems us. Are we true followers of Christ? If so, we will show Christ-like humility and esteem others better than ourselves.

Esteem is a problem in many families. It is often a problem between spouses. A spouse often thinks that he or she is king or queen of the house which can only result in discord and unhappiness. If one spouse always thinks that his or her way is better than the other spouse, the spouse can lose his or her esteem. The ego of one really affects the esteem of the other and destroys family unity. The self-esteem of children suffers when they are constantly belittled for their mistakes and never praised in a positive way for their successes.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalms 23:1.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want

PRAYER:

Give me the guidance that I might esteem others better than myself. Help me to keep my attitude right before You and may I serve You with a humble heart but with a strong conviction.