Rachel Heaton
The Paw Print
I recently read a Bible verse that got me thinking. It said: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” –Philippines 2:3-4
This verse hit home for me. It speaks on the idea that we should not view ourselves as better than any other person. We should not be full of ourselves. Instead we should respect those around us and be humble. This kind of attitude will help us to live fuller, happier lives.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t be interested in yourself and where you’re headed. You shouldn’t try to advance yourself. What I’m saying is stop and take a look around at the people who helped you get to where you are standing right now. Whether it’s our parents, our grandparents, our friends back home, or the friends we’ve made here, someone has given you a push forward at some point.
In today’s world I think it has become too easy to become wrapped up in ourselves and our own selfish desires. We get caught up in “me” so much that we forget to look outward at the world around us and see the “we”. We disregard the feelings of others simply because they are not in line with our own wishes. We obsess over the number of likes we get on Instagram or if someone retweeted our cleverly crafted comment on Twitter. We don’t worry about how we positively affected someone’s life during the day.
On the flip side of worrying about our own social media profiles, we judge others off of theirs. We scroll through photos and status updates and make a judgment about a person based on a 140 character snapshot. What we really need to do is get off of our phones, get out of our social bubble, and interact with each other. Spend some time with a friend you haven’s seen in a while. Get to know the person sitting next to you in class. Smile!
I was observing in an elementary school several days ago where a class was discussing bullying and the Columbine High School massacre. The class read a quote from Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim in the shooting. Just before the tragedy, she wrote, “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same.” This quote is the foundation for Rachel’s Challenge, an organization aimed to start a chain reaction of kindness in society.
I think the message is an important one.
It’s time we take this “Me, Me, Me” society and turn it into a “we” society.
I’ll leave you with one simple challenge: Spread the love.
What’s Been Said…