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Don't be concerned for your own good but for the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 NLT
On this day in 1970, inspirational coach Vince Lombardi died. His statement, “Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn’t do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another,” echoes Paul’s instruction in today’s reading: “Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” If inspirational quotes can motivate football teams, maybe Paul’s words can inspire our concern for “the good of others.”
Despite God’s desire for selflessness in His followers, the opposite shows up throughout the Bible. For example, in Psalm 137:9, the Writer’s caustic phrases (called “imprecations”) express his desire for revenge. “Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!” makes sense when a man’s friends and family have been slaughtered, but God wants His people to move past these raw emotions, no matter how justified.
Job felt justified when he attempted to explain the puzzle of his life by putting words in God’s mouth. But like Paul and the psalmist, Job learned the significance behind God’s question: “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?” (Job 38:36).
Accepting God’s unshakable wisdom can help you move away from revenge and self-love to the rewarding life found in securing good things for others.
Prayer: Father, please help me make concern for the good of others my motto.
On this day in 1970, inspirational coach Vince Lombardi died. His statement, “Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn’t do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another,” echoes Paul’s instruction in today’s reading: “Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” If inspirational quotes can motivate football teams, maybe Paul’s words can inspire our concern for “the good of others.”
Despite God’s desire for selflessness in His followers, the opposite shows up throughout the Bible. For example, in Psalm 137:9, the Writer’s caustic phrases (called “imprecations”) express his desire for revenge. “Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!” makes sense when a man’s friends and family have been slaughtered, but God wants His people to move past these raw emotions, no matter how justified.
Job felt justified when he attempted to explain the puzzle of his life by putting words in God’s mouth. But like Paul and the psalmist, Job learned the significance behind God’s question: “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?” (Job 38:36).
Accepting God’s unshakable wisdom can help you move away from revenge and self-love to the rewarding life found in securing good things for others.
Prayer: Father, please help me make concern for the good of others my motto.
