Looking on Things of Others
Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4). He was instructing his audience to be mindful of the state of those around them, whether spiritual or material. Paul was not advocating that they should be nosy or meddling, but rather that they should minister aid as opportunity permitted. To be contrary to what Cain implicitly maintained, we are our “brother’s keeper” (Genesis 4:9). Underpinning this admonition is the fundamental principle that God intends for believers to “serve one another with love” (Galatians 5:13).
One way that we serve one another is by ministering to spiritual need. Paul commanded the Galatians, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). As a Christian, we should be concerned for a brother or sister that has fallen into a sin and seek to help them see its destructive influence and overcome the sin. This must be done prayerfully, scripturally, and humbly in love. To help a brother or sister walk in obedience to the Lord is indeed loving. Unfortunately, it is too often the case that our own example gives little credence to a loving voice of concern, and we are viewed as hypocrites. We must love the expression of truth in our own lives and in the lives of others.
Another way that we serve one another is by helping to bear the heavy burdens that fall on each of us in the course of our lives. Immediately after Paul wrote of helping those overtaken in a fault, he wrote “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ … But let every man prove his own work … for every man shall bear his own burden” (Galatians 6:2-5). Paul’s instruction seems contradictory. On one hand, we are to bear one another’s burdens, but on the other hand, we are to bear our own burdens.
The answer lies in the two different Greek words used for “burdens”. The first “burden” has to do with an overly heavy weight. There are burdens in life that come to each of us that are not intended to be born alone, e.g., the death of a loved one, overwhelming sickness, job loss, etc. It is on these occasions where we seek God’s direction how we might minister to such needs that afflict our brothers or sisters.
The second “burden” is a word that has reference to the freight of a ship, its cargo. Specifically, it has reference to what the ship was designed to carry. In this case we are reminded that each of us has our own duties and responsibilities that belong to us in the various roles we play, e.g., husband/wife, employee, neighbor, etc. God intends for us to bear these ourselves and, consequently, not be a burden to others.
There are many ways that the Lord intends for us to help others in their journey. Perhaps, the larger issue for us is that we haven’t made it past “looking on [our] own things”. To minister to others, I must move beyond myself first.
Randy Livingston serves as a chaplain for a local police department. He writes devotionals for his ministry which also appear at his blog, From the Chaplain. We republish this post by permission.
Photo by Saulo Meza on Unsplash