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Humble Obedience
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves
Philippians 2:3
When I began my journey into foster care and adoption, I began with selfish intent. I wanted a baby and I wanted forever. I longed to be called mother and to garner attention for the adorable bundle that was mine.
I couldn’t wait to fulfill my childhood dream.
I had selfish ambition.
Somewhere in the journey, my heart transformed and I realized that my journey wasn’t for me at all, but rather for the children. When I pushed my desires aside, I was able to truly focus on the children in our home, valuing them for the precious beings that they were. I was able to focus on their needs and help them grow in mind, body and spirit.
In Philippians 2:3, we are instructed to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather value others above ourselves. Unfortunately, our human nature rears it’s ugly head more frequently than we’d like to admit and this seemingly direct task becomes difficult.
In this journey to be foster / adoptive parents, it is easy to lose sight of humility. It is easy to focus on your own selfish desires and Satan encourages that with difficult decisions and bumpy roads. We must remember, however, that these children are the reason for our journey and it is for them that we’ve been called.
We are instructed to value others above ourselves, thus placing the needs of the children in our care above our own. When you’d rather be sleeping at four a.m., place your child’s need to be near you, to feel safe, above your desire for sleep.
Today, when your selfish intent attempts to rear it’s head, remember that God instructs us to value others above ourselves. He’s requested you to follow him on this path and he desires your humble obedience.
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