November 15
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I WILL PUT OTHERS FIRST. I will be a person who will seek unity. I will do nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but will regard others as more important than myself. I will not only look out for my own personal interests, but also look out for the interests of others.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
The Following is a true story from Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, a Holocaust Survivor:
"As you know, during the Holocaust, the people were transported in the worst possible, inhumane way by railcar. After hours and hours in this inhumane corral with no light, no bathroom, cold, they arrived at the camps. The doors were swung wide open, and they were blinded by the light. Men were separated from women, mothers from daughters, fathers from sons. They went off to the bunkers to sleep. As they went into the area to sleep, only one person was given a blanket for every six. The person who received the blanket, when he went to bed, had to decide, 'Am I going to push the blanket to the five other people who did not get one, or am I going to pull it toward myself to stay warm?'
It was during this defining moment that we learned the power of the human spirit, because we pushed the blanket to five others." ( Hermes Magazine, 2001)
This story is far more difficult than anything we will ever experience, but I believe it perfectly illustrates the principle of putting others first. The rubber really meets the road with putting others first when it costs us something: Am I willing to help someone at my own personal expense? It is easy to say but difficult to do (especially in the small things that no one sees). I believe putting others first is a discipline and muscle we have to consciously exercise to improve—it won't just happen because we want it to. I challenge us this week to find one small thing every day that we can do to put someone ahead of ourselves.
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
