Useful Bible Studies > Philippians Commentary > chapter 2
People usually care much about those things that affect them most. For example, they will make great efforts to protect their home, their money, or their possessions. They give careful attention to what their own family needs. They give much less attention to their neighbour’s family, and even less than that to a foreigner.
However, God directs that Christians should show genuine love towards other people (Mark 12:31). Of course Christians must not neglect those things for which they themselves are responsible (Romans 13:7-8; 1 Timothy 5:8). However, God gives them opportunities in life to help many other people too (Luke 10:29-37; Luke 14:12-14). That is the kind of genuine Christian love that 1 Corinthians chapter 13 describes.
God’s people do these things gladly. It is a great honour to show the love of God to other people in this way (1 Corinthians 9:15-18). In God’s opinion, God’s people carry out these acts of kindness not just to other people, but to God himself (Matthew 25:34-46). God will certainly reward the people who do these things (Proverbs 19:17; Mark 9:41).
It is not a good thing to think only about ourselves, or to care only about those things that matter to us. That is a proud and selfish attitude. Christians should not think in that way; God does not approve of those wrong attitudes (Luke 1:51). So, people who truly want to please God, must care about other people too.
Next part: Think as Christ did (Philippians 2:5)
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© 2020, Keith Simons.