Learn to Love| Consider Others Better Than Yourself

What will “considering others better than yourself” do for you?
1. It renews your mind to think like Jesus. It reminds you how God values others. 
2. It teaches you how to love, even when you really don’t feel it.
3. And it will genuinely change the way you see others and how you feel about them.

1. Considering Others Better that Yourself Renews Your Minds to Think Like Jesus

Philippians 2:3-5 CEB
Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus…
Philippians 2 tells us to imitate Christ. Christ came to give us his life for ours. He considered our lives as more precious that His own. He looked out for our interests, not His own. He put us first. 
Putting others first makes us like Christ.

2. Learn to Love 
But I don’t like him! I won’t be a hypocrite. I don’t love him! He’s not a good guy.

Jesus said the 2nd greatest command was to “love others as you love yourself.” It’s not a request, it’s a command. 

In John 13:34-35 (NIV), Jesus said, “
 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The measure of your performance as a disciple is your love for everyone.

Jesus also said, “43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48 NLT

Jesus message was: 
*Love your enemies. Even those who hurt you or make your life difficult.
*God gives his love even to evil people, so must you.
*The thing that will make you different from everyone else is your love for those who don’t deserve it.

THIS IS NOT HUMAN LOVE, JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT!
ONLY GOD LOVES LIKE THIS!
JESUS WANTS US TO BE IDENTIFIED AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD.
SO HE COMMANDS US TO RECEIVE GOD’S LOVE FOR OTHERS AND LOVE THEM.

But Dave, How can I do that?

Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, said
“Love is an attitude with behavior following. God loves us. He wants what’s best for us. That’s what love is. Love is wanting what is best for someone else. It’s caring about them. You begin with an attitude of love, then acts with love, and then the feeling of love will come.”

This is so good! Here is God’s key to unlock love for others, including those who offend us, and even our enemies.

Step 1 attitude of love (change your attitude), Love is a choice. Love is a decision. Purpose your heart to love someone. Ignore your feelings
Step 2 then do acts of love, and 
Step 3 then, finally the feeling will come.

We learn to love by making the choice to love, doing acts of love, and then, finally the emotion will come. We learn to love like Jesus by ignoring our emotions and doing what Jesus told us to, knowing what He commands, He enables.


****Activation – Consider Others Better Than Yourself 
Put others first today. (see the activation in the podcast