Please Your Neighbor

“³For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’” – Romans 15:3 (ESV)

We are to be the example of Christ and in doing so, we are to avoid pleasing ourselves and serve others first. I see in the verse above that Christ did not concern Himself with that which impacted Him, He was interested in caring for me and the difficulties I experience.

This passage is titled “The Example of Christ” in my English Standard Version Bible. And boy is it telling me how to be the example of Christ.

“¹We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” – Romans 15:1-2 (ESV)

I look back at my yesterday and in doing so, I break it down to determine, Was I an example of Christ today? Was I setting our to serve and please my neighbors? What my answer to those questions is between me and God, but I can say that my eyes are opened to that answer when I take the time to ask the questions.

I am to be the example of Christ in all that I do, and pleasing my neighbor before and in most cases, in substitution of myself is the way to get there. I look back at Romans 12:9-20 and study again the “Marks of the True Christian” and find that others are where my focus should lie. And I can see here that Paul is true to those verses in giving me the example of Christ in Romans 15:1-7.

When you look at yesterday, were you thinking of others before yourself? Did you work to please your neighbors before, and in most cases, in substitution of yourself? What are the answers to the questions surrounding the pleasing of your neighbors?