Today, I got to see how living for the benefit of others is SOOO much better than trying to live for myself! And, yes, I learned this in my car while riding around in Wellesley. How did this happen? Well, let me give you an inside look into my vehicle.
The Background
A few years ago I made the decision to let Shannon drive our car when we are together, because she feels safer that way (What does this say about my driving??? No comment).
Now at first this was hard for me, because I wanted to be a good husband and drive my family around. That is what men do where I come from, and men who do not seem weak. But, eventually I learned that my idea of being a good husband was not the same idea that Shannon had, which meant my actions were not being communicated correctly. So, I died to myself a little and decided to honor my wife in this way.
I would have been thrilled if this was all the Lord was calling me to sacrifice. But, I just have to be honest, I have struggled giving up the radio. Now, I know the driver gets to make the decision, but since I was already sacrificing by letting her drive, I felt entitled. I wanted to control it.
A New Thing To Sacrifice
But, instead of continuing to do this, I decided to die to myself in this area as well. Not because Shannon asked me to do it (or even expected me to do it), but because I wanted to honor my wife. So, I made her a sound track of all of her favorite songs and just let it play.
The Result
So what happened when I decided to do this? I found is that I am actually having more fun. Not only do I get to watch her have fun, but I get to see
her dance and sing (out of tune but beautifully), which I have found is SO MUCH BETTER! I get to see the cute nerdy side of my wife, which makes my heart swell. I mean, I love my music and listen to it often, but when I see her having fun, it actually draws me deeper in love with her and touches me in a way that listening to my own music never does.
The Application
But, this got me thinking. If this is true in something as small as a Spotify play list, then how else could I apply this? What would it look like if I started treating other people in my life this way? How much joy could I gain just from putting other people first? How much fun could I be having from watching other people having more fun than myself? The answer is A LOT!
But, Why Would I do This?
Because this is what Jesus Christ has already done for me. He put Himself aside to give me the infinite blessings of God. He did this for me when I didn’t deserve it. He did this while going through the pain and shame of the cross, which He did not deserve! Why? Because it brought Him joy!
"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:12
