Comfort Zone

“Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1)

Comfort is a good thing, right? A warm house, a full belly, and a remote within arm’s reach. Life is good. But we can’t stay in our comfort zone forever. Neglect our jobs, our families, our treadmills…and see how long it takes for our comfort zones to become barren wildernesses. So it was that when God gave me this word involving Comfort Zones, I knew He was right. (He’s usually right.)

Here’s how the word started.

The Lord says, I had to take you out of your comfort zone to bring you into My comfort. But, let it be known that My comfort does not comfort in the way your comfort zone does.

Not surprisingly, God’s comfort zone is different than our comfort zone. How is it different?

Let’s see:

My comfort conforms you...to My image. The conforming to My image (brought about by My process of comfort), will bring you out of ‘the old,’ in order to take you into ‘the new’ (your inheritance). I am bringing you out of the barren wilderness...but now you must allow My Spirit to remove the wilderness mindset that has become ingrained in you during the recent journey.

So…this is more than “Hey Church, ditch the burgers, grab those weights, and drop a few pounds.” God’s comfort actually conforms us to His Image. Yes, it changes us into His image.

And why does the Lord do that?

He does it to take us out of the barren wilderness and into our inheritance.

But what does God require of us? He says we must allow Holy Spirit to remove our wilderness mindset. He’s referring to how our thinking becomes conditioned in difficult times. We too easily enter a survival mode, trading excellence for expediency. We reason that an inferior relationship is better than no relationship.

This is understandable, but there comes a time when God calls us higher…to receive our inheritance…to prepare us for future challenges.

For the days ahead are days of living sacrifices—yielding, remaining still—upon my altar.

God requires that we yield and remain still upon his altar.

In Genesis, Isaac remained still upon the altar. I’m not sure I could have done that. But Isaac was surrendered to his father Abraham. And for good reason. His father was everything to him, just as our heavenly Father is everything to us. God is leading us into a living sacrifice to equip us for the battles ahead.

Your surrender will cause our oneness to become a bond of love, and you will see the promises you have battled FOR become the promises you will battle FROM. In this new place I have prepared for My body, you will discover the words that set the enemy to flight will be. “It is Finished.”

You see, surrender is more than “Not my will, but Yours be done.” It forms a bond of love, taking us to a place of receiving our inheritance, which is our strength.

What is our inheritance? It is everything we have battled for…in prayer, in faith, in declaration…all we have believed for. It is a calling into being who we have not yet become. God is serious about preparing us for the next assignment.

I Am a consuming fire that must consume all that is not Me. But the days that lie ahead will prove that your surrender to Me is your strength. This surrender, resulting in a newfound strength, will be triggered by your hunger for My presence, a presence that leads you, not only from strength to strength, but from faith to faith and victory to victory.

Amen!

So, what are some common comfort zones that easily become barren wildernesses?

1. Acceptance By Other People. Nobody likes being rejected. People want to fit in, find their place, to contribute. Trouble starts when we let others define us. We need people who will challenge us, not agree with us. We need people who will look into our lives and tell us the truth…whether we like it or not, especially if we don’t like it. Because only the truth makes us free. And only God can define us.

2. The Traditions Of Men. In Mark 7:13 of the Passion Translation, we read: “Do you really think God will honor your traditions passed down to others, making up rules that nullify God’s Word? And you’re doing many other similar things.” What is God objecting to here? Well, it’s our traditions and rules—those that nullify God’s Word. Which…by my estimation, is a lot of them.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with starting services at the same time or insisting on some semblance of decency for our gatherings. That’s not what this scripture is talking about. This scripture refers to the mayhem that ensues when something doesn’t happen precisely the way we expect it to.

Does God leave the building if we have the preaching first and the music second? Or no preaching at all? Or music that is too loud…or too soft…or too rock…or too “Nearer My God to Thee”?

No, God doesn’t leave the building, but a lot of people do.

God’s presence doesn't come just because we build a church building and strike up the praise band. God’s presence is in. It is in churches, bars, homes, foxholes, factories, and brothels. Holy Spirit responds to hungry hearts…and He finds those everywhere.

3. Getting Identity From Your Gifting. Paul tells us in Acts 17: “It is through [God] that we live and function and have our identity…Our lineage comes from God and Him alone.” Notice that our identity comes through God, not through our ministry. Our ministry must be rooted in our fundamental identity of being a redeemed son or daughter of Almighty God. Our bedrock rests in Him and Him alone!

Pray with me:

Lord, You see the days ahead. We see the four walls we have created, even as we believe for greater things. Take us out of our comfort zones and into a new strength through a living surrender. Prepare us for the coming battles, even as You comfort us in a newly forged bond of love.

Our decree:

Those whom the Son has set free are free indeed. We speak freedom of God’s conforming truth into our bodies, souls and spirits. We release all that was built in ignorance—our traditions, our conformity, our excuses and false notions.

We, the redeemed of God, are changed from glory to glory as we look not to the right or the left, but to the burning love of God, a purifying fire, preparing us to receive our inheritance for victory.


Copyright © 2022 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

Did You Vote for Biden?

From Mario Murillo: 

Sometimes it is necessary to call out evil, even when it is the evil of an entire Christian generation.

In Matthew 12:34-39, Jesus said, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Then, some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

What part of voting for Joe Biden had anything to do with your Christian faith? What justified the utter betrayal of your faith? Why did you vote for evil? There is no excuse. You are naked in your choice and it is time to cleanse your soul.

Behold the face of evil. Joe Biden is not just a doddering old man, he is in the throes of depraved indifference. Sin and shame cling to his spirit like a film of acid rain. He oozes immorality.

You who voted to make him the leader of the free world, let me ask you this: Which of his qualities compelled you? Had he forged a heroic past? Was there ever anything about Joe that was not illegitimate, smarmy, or a layer of sludge of smoky backrooms? It is easy to see how those qualities extend your Christian conviction.

He did not really go into politics. He slithered onto the scene—spineless and reptilian. He can crawl through a barrel of pretzels and not touch a single one. He has certainly never touched decency or honesty. No wonder he warmed the cockles of your Christian vote.

Sometimes it is necessary to call out evil, even when it is the evil of an entire Christian generation.

In Matthew 12:34-39, Jesus said, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Then, some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

What part of voting for Joe Biden had anything to do with your Christian faith? What justified the utter betrayal of your faith? Why did you vote for evil? There is no excuse. You are naked in your choice and it is time to cleanse your soul.

Behold the face of evil. Joe Biden is not just a doddering old man, he is in the throes of depraved indifference. Sin and shame cling to his spirit like a film of acid rain. He oozes immorality. He stares at his watch while caskets of heroes are being draped in flags in front of loved ones.

You who voted to make him the leader of the free world, let me ask you this: Which of his qualities compelled you? Had he forged a heroic past? Was there ever anything about Joe that was not illegitimate, smarmy, or a layer of sludge of smoky backrooms? It is easy to see how those qualities extend your Christian conviction.

He has certainly never touched decency or honesty. No wonder he warmed the cockles of your Christian vote.

He did not really go into politics. He slithered onto the scene—spineless and reptilian. He can crawl through a barrel of pretzels and not touch a single one. He has certainly never touched decency or honesty. No wonder he warmed the cockles of your Christian vote.

Trump may have hurt your feelings, but Biden is killing your fellow Americans and your brothers in Christ. He brings in Covid from the southern border and leaves Americans in the hands of the Taliban in the east. He seems bored and must check his watch several times while waiting for the plane returning from Afghanistan, carrying the bodies of the soldiers killed by his indifference. He is gleefully unmoved by the slightest pang of conscience when confronted by the grieving mother of one of those soldiers.

Biden carries his own low temperature with him. No fire of generosity ever sparked in him. He is what Tolstoy said of Napoleon: “He lost the power to think a decent thought.” Biden can’t say anything kind, compassionate or wise. He can only spill the bile of his soul. I see the attraction to your Christian values.

Satan said to Biden, “Close the airport before you get the Americans out. Better to keep your promise to the Taliban than to the people you serve.” He makes parents childless. He makes widows and orphans. He has shamed the U.S. military in the sight of the entire world.

He made our men and women in uniform leave behind those who did not deserve to die. The most deeply held value of the America military is, “No man left behind.” He broke their hearts. But somehow, he convinced you he was the right man to vote for.

You urban pastors who were receiving money from the Democrat Party to get out the vote, must live with your infamy. You prostituted yourselves and, worse yet, you prostituted your pulpit. You aided evil. You helped put unprecedented vileness in the People’s House. Take a long look in the mirror and see if you are beholding a Christian man—let alone a preacher.

Take a long look in the mirror and see if you are beholding a Christian man—let alone a preacher.

Yeah, I am going on record that everyone who falls under this heading has done evil and God will not hold you guiltless. When you voted for Biden, you made a statement. You said something—something you must face. Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).

The iniquity of your vote still echoes in your soul. You wear a label. You bear a stain. You carry the stigma of a perverted generation who are shaking their fists at God.

A blog should end in hope. I should try to comfort you. Maybe your traitorous vote didn’t actually put him in. But it is still a traitorous vote. But such comfort belongs to other kinds of people, making other kinds of choices. To proffer you hope in your sin, would bring me into agreement with it. 

But there is hope in repentance! You can renounce the horror of your error. You can be cleansed, but this is no light cleansing. There is far more involved in getting rid of this wicked choice than you realize. Do not wait and do not deny your crime. To the honestly repentant, there remains this promise:

1 John 1:9 “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].”

It is time to cleanse your soul.

God's Word for Tuesday, 10/1/19

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12 KJV

Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Matthew 5:11-12 MSG

God's Word for Thursday, 5/23/19

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Romans 15:2 KJV

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

Romans 15:2 MSG

God's Word for Friday, 5/10/19

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

Matthew 18:15 KJV

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love."

Matthew 18:15 MSG

God's Word for Wednesday, 5/8/19

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Colossians 4:5-6 KJV

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

Colossians 4:5-6 MSG

God's Word for Tuesday, 4/30/19

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians 4:15 KJV

No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

Ephesians 4:15 MSG

God's Word for Tuesday, 3/19/19

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

Galatians 5:22-23 MSG

God's Word, Wednesday 2/20/19

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 17:9 KJV

Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

Proverbs 17:9 MSG

God's Word for Wednesday, 1/16/19

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16 KJV

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

Galatians 5:16 MSG

God's Word for Sunday, 1/13/19

Statement:

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 KJV

Exposition:

Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

2 Corinthians 5:19-20 MSG

God's Word for Monday, 11/5/18

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Romans 13:6 KJV

That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.

Romans 13:6 MSG

God's Grace to Me: Chapter 1 - The Early Years

I literally grew up in church. Born in 1955 at Fort Riley, Kansas, my parents had me dedicated in small Baptist church in Junction City while my Dad was in the Army. I never knew a time between then and high school graduation when we were not in church every time the doors opened. Dad served as a deacon; Mom sang in the choir, helped cook and serve church dinners. In the late ‘50s, we helped build and open a new church in Illinois. I remember glazing windows, and even shoveled a small amount of gravel for the new parking lot. I was 4 years old.

In that church, I gave my life to Jesus Christ when I was six.

In 1966, Dad had reconnected with an Army buddy, and we moved to the small Missouri town where his family lived. And as always, one of the first things we did was to join a local church. I sang in the youth choir. 

One Sunday when I was 12 years old, our pastor spoke of his own calling. He had been sitting in a church service, he said, and saw a mother with a newborn baby. That arrested his attention, and he heard that still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12) saying, "You've been a Christian for years, yet you've contributed no more to My kingdom than that baby."

As he told that story, I began to cry. I didn't understand why but had the thought "That's just like me." Without any specific instruction, I just knew it was real. I had no thoughts about how or when it might happen, but I knew.

And of course, being the stubborn person that I am, I began to bargain with God. I told him that I'd be a music minister, but I certainly wouldn't preach. The thought of public speaking frightened me. And I'd NEVER be a pastor, I said. I just knew it wasn’t for me.

Yeah, right.

I told the pastor what I believed I’d heard but didn’t know what was supposed to happen next. As it turned out, nothing happened for a quite a while.

But a few years later, the county association of churches decided to form a group of young lay pastors. The idea was to take all those who showed signs of a true calling, provide them with some guidance and training, and make them available to fill in for vacationing pastors, when needed. So local pastors announced the formation of the group and asked if anyone wanted to be a part of it. Our church had recently hired a new pastor, and when he asked whether anyone wanted to a part of it, my hand went up without any conscious decision on my part. In all honesty, I looked up in amazement and wondered how it got there.

But even more surprising to me was neither my parents, the pastor or the deacons ever once questioned that fact that I volunteered. Prior to that moment, I still hadn't ever told anyone except my parents and the previous pastor what had happened to me.

The upshot was that roughly 12 young men wanted to take part. After the group had met a couple of times, we were invited to address the gathering of all the Baptist ministers in that county.

No pressure, right?

Some of the guys were more polished than others. I was decidedly not polished and had never done any public speaking to a group larger than a Sunday School class. My remarks were mercifully brief. Still, the comments made afterward to me were encouraging.

As part of that early training, we were encouraged to volunteer as camp counselors at the county’s Baptist Youth Camp. That summer, a revival broke out one evening while I was in attendance. Later I was asked to go along with one of the older guys – Jerry – who was to preach one Sunday at a small church as a fill-in for a vacationing pastor. Jerry asked me to come along and tell the congregation what had happened.

At the appropriate time, Jerry gave me the pulpit. I opened my mouth to speak, and that’s the last thing I remember about it. I have no idea what I said, but when I was done there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.

It was my first experience with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and had no idea what had happened. But Jerry told me it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

During my senior year, I received a few invitations to fill in at various churches. But graduation was pending, and I’d already decided to enlist in the Navy. In a pattern which I’ve repeated over and over in life, I broke with the traditional path. 

God's Word for Thursday, 8/2/18

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22 KJV

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. 

James 1:22 MSG

God's Word for Saturday, 6/9/18

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."

Matthew 7:13-14 (MSG)

I Doubt Your Doubt

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the LORD. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:5-8)

When doubt rears its ugly head and tries to make you stop – no matter what you’re doing – that’s the time you should double down on whatever is at hand. Doubt is your mind or emotions trying to tell you “You can’t do this.”

Oh, yeah? Well … I doubt that doubt, because my Bible says “I can do all through Christ, which strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Now, I always fussed inwardly about that verse (King James translation). “Christ isn’t a which; He’s a Who!” I told myself. But are we sure about that?

Let’s take the lingering Greek (and no, I’m not talking about Giorgos down the street) Christos and finish translating it.

Again: “I can do all things through the Anointed One and His anointing, which strengthens me.”

That changes things, doesn’t it? So whenever you talk about Jesus Christ, meaning Jesus the Anointed One, you eventually must deal with the question, “What is He anointed with?”

Acts 10:38 says “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”

So Philippians 4:13 again: “I can do all things through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the power of God.” Now we’re talking!

So why are you doubting yourself, exactly?

It takes a bit of practice to get into the habit of believing that you have the miracle-working power of God inside of you – but you do. It takes awhile to think of yourself as a highly-favored child of God – but you are. It takes practice to make yourself think that way.

We’d better get busy. 😊

God's Word for Friday, 2/23/18

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Galatians 6:1-10 (MSG)

God's Word for Friday, 11/24/17

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 MSG

God's Word for Sunday, 10/29/17

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:1 MSG

God's Word for Thursday, 9/14/17

 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Philippians 2:1-2 MSG