Putting God First Enables Us to Seek the Good for Others
Scripture — 1 Corinthians 10:24, 31 (NIV)
No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. . . . So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Focus
Maximilian Kolbe put God first in his life. This enabled him to give his life to save someone else. Kolbe’s commitment to and passion for God’s glory enabled him to seek the good of another person over his own good. Though you and I may never face a situation like his, and though our souls may never be so devoted to God’s glory as was Kolbe’s, the more we seek the glory of God, our true #1, the more we will be free and empowered to seek the good of others, even at great personal cost.
Today’s devotion is part of the series: Living and Leading for the Good of Others.
Devotion
In yesterday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I suggested that it is right for us to “look out for #1,” as long as we understand that God, and God alone, is the true #1 in our lives. And not just in our lives, but in the entire universe.
I also shared that when we put God #1, seeking God’s glory above everything else, we will be empowered to seek the good of others, even at great personal cost. Putting God first enables us to put others before ourselves.
We see this truth most powerfully in the death of Jesus. He sacrificed his own life for our sake. He did this, not only out of love for us, but supremely out of love for his Heavenly Father. He did what he knew God the Father was calling him to do.
Throughout the ages, Christians have imitated the sacrificial love of Jesus. Usually, we do this by giving up something of value to us, such as money, energy, sleep, privilege, comfort, etc. Sometimes, however, Christians have given their lives for the sake of others.
One disciple of Jesus who did this was Maximilian Kolbe. A Polish man and Catholic priest during World War II, Kolbe was taken to the infamous German concentration camp, Auschwitz. While he was there, the camp commander ordered the death of ten prisoners, not including Kolbe. One of these prisoners begged to live, expressing concern for his wife and his children. At that moment, Kolbe stepped forward and offered to die in place of this man. Eventually, Kolbe persuaded the commander to accept his offer. The prisoner, a husband and father, was not killed and was later set free. Kolbe was put to death in Auschwitz in place of the man whose life he saved through his own death.
Kolbe was, no doubt, acting out of Christ-like love for the prisoner he saved. But surely, he was also seeking to glorify God. In a letter he once wrote to a member of a religious order, he said, “I rejoice greatly, dear brother, at the outstanding zeal that drives you to promote the glory of God. . . . But indeed, since God is worthy of infinite glory, it is our first and most pressing duty to give him such glory as we, in our weakness, can manage.”
Kolbe’s commitment to and passion for God’s glory enabled him to seek the good of another person over his own good. Though you and I may never face a situation like that, and though our souls may never be so devoted to God’s glory as was Kolbe’s, the more we seek the glory of God, our true #1, the more we will be free and empowered to seek the good of others, even at great personal cost.
Reflect
How do you respond to the story of Maximilian Kolbe’s sacrifice? What does it evoke in you?
Are there ways in which you are seeking what’s good for others right now, even if this is costly to you? If so, what is this like for you?
Act
Be aware today of some way you might do something good for another person, something different or perhaps someone you have not served before.
Pray
Gracious God, for all the saints who, throughout the centuries, have given their lives for your sake, I give thanks. Today, I’m especially grateful for the sacrifice of Maximilian Kolbe.
Lord, I may never be called upon to give up my life for the good of another person, but there are many ways I can choose what’s best for others when it is costly to me personally. Help me to be aware of such times. Empower me to choose the way of service and sacrifice. May I do this, not for my own reputation, but for your glory. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Ultimate Act of Hospitality (Small Group Study).
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Fellow
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Fellow for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and t...