You First

 Today was my errand running day in a nearby town. I wanted to go to Target, Best Buy, and Bath and Body for those $10.25 3-wick candles. If you're reading this on December 3rd, the sale is still on! Everywhere I went was busy and crowded. I found myself rushing from one place to the next and on my drive home, I felt uptight and a little irritated for no real reason at all. 

That's the worst mood to be in if you're going to have a tailgater bumping along behind you—am I right? It seemed everyone was uptight along with me, and as much as I love the Christmas season, it seems to make us a little short on patience (or is it just me?). I behaved myself and didn't give in to extreme aggravation because the words I heard from a sermon lately rolled right across my heart. Those words were "you first". 

Not easy. Not natural. Not what usually first comes to mind when I feel stressed or under pressure, but there they were, plain as day and meant specifically for me in that moment. Instead of head shaking and cutting looks and maybe even the teensiest bit of slowing down on purpose, I simply heard those words over and over and over again.

This got me thinking about how this phrase should be my posture every day, all the time. A busy line filled with cranky people? Allow the mom with the screaming toddler to go first. One sought after toy of this holiday season sits there staring at you and one other mom that looks menacing and slightly threatening? Politely say, "please—help yourself." The last piece of apple pie all warm and gooey and delicious—give it to the person behind you.

I've got to say, this will need to be a discipline we must continually learn because it asks us to deny ourselves. I don't know about you, but when it comes down to it, I can be pretty selfish—especially to a stranger I know nothing about. But can you imagine how much less stress, and more joy we would feel if we simply chose to serve others by saying, "you first"? 

This posture of serving is one Jesus taught us Himself in the life He displayed for us in Scripture. To the hungry people—He met their need, even though He was surely tired and hungry Himself. To the disciples He loved and spent His days with, He washed their dirty feet. To the towns He visited—although He would be going out of His way for just one person, He went anyway so they could be healed. He taught us the discipline of "you first" by His own example. 

As is my habit, I am often rushing from one thing to another, feeling short of breath from stress as I move through my busier days. These are the moments I'm most likely to display character that is selfish, rather than selfless. I pray that this season—as I enjoy so many things about it, I'll be able to remove hurry from my life and feel more at peace. I pray that I'll be less uptight and more gracious. And that any time I begin to feel irritated from the rush, I'll remember those words once again, preserving me from an attitude that would not please the Lord. "You first". . .that's my Christmas motto.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35, ESV)."

Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28, ESV)."

And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35, ESV)."