Putting Others First - Part 1

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:4
 
Just before his death in 1543, Copernicus published a book titled, “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres” in which he put forward a new theory – that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the universe. While considered a nut-case by some, his work launched other scientific investigations, became the starting point of modern astronomy, and sparked a movement that came to be known as the Copernican Revolution. Go figure, the Sun at the center rather than the world as we know it. What an idea. 
 
We, like the population prior to Copernicus, live with our eyes trained on our own little world. – a world that revolves around the axis of “self”. Some have called this ego-centrism our “self-life”. It includes self-image, self-interest, self-protection, self-promotion, self-absorption, self-advertisement, and self-confidence. At the root of each of these concepts is the all-consuming focus on “self”.
 
God stepped into this selfish paradigm and spoke a different theory – that we should not look out only for our own interests, but also the interests of others. That awareness of the “other” in our midst may distinguish followers of Christ above other moral qualities. This alternative “universe” is one in which believers display kindness, consideration, respect, and a mindfulness of what someone else may need today. And like the movement launched by Copernicus, these qualities become contagious. 
 
If you would like an entertaining way to explore the gravitational pull of putting others first, gather your kids around the home computer and spend time watching clips from a movement called “I am Second”.  Each of these video scenes feature a person – often famous – who has discovered the joy of living for Someone other than self. 
 
Amazing things happen when the Son becomes the center of our universe.