"Others Focused"

One of the most common themes of Christianity I have heard throughout my life is that we are to be "others focused". You know, living life as Jesus told us to live it. Putting others before ourselves. Loving people, even the ones who are seemingly un-lovable. Doing the "one another" verses that we hear so many times.

I do think all of those things are super important, and a big part of what it means to live like Christ. After all, that is how He told us to live.

But sometimes I wonder if we live in a completely dichotomous world. On the one hand we are seeking to be others focused. To serve them and love them better. And that is good, and something that we all have to work at because it isn't our nature.

But in the rest of life it seems like it isn't that hard to be others focused. In fact, I think we spend most of our time in that state of mind.

We focus on peoples faults. On how they could be doing better. On how they have wronged us. On whether or not they're guilty. On knowing the latest "news" about someone.

In reality, we're really good at being others focused, as long as it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Recently I've noticed this more and more in my own life. I seem to be incredibly adept at picking up on what other people are struggling with, but don't see that often times I'm struggling with the same things or things that are even bigger.

I'm starting to get a little bit more of an understanding of what it means to become less so that God can become greater. Yes, I need to be others focused. But not in the ways that I normally am.

My focus should be on others, making them better than myself, whether that is in serving them, loving them, or simply thinking the best of them. I should be others focused, but not in a way that lifts myself up, but in a way that lifts God up.