“And let us consider how to stimulate one another through love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin.”

Now the English translation that I read says, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” That’s a good translation. But in the original Greek, the order is changed. Or rather, the English translation has changed the order of the original Greek, to be more precise. And in the original, the order is this: “Let us consider one another, how to stimulate to love and good deeds.” I believe that brings out the real essence of this particular resolution. It is, “let us consider one another.” And we’re to consider one another from the point of view how we can bring the best out of one another. But the essence of the resolution is: “Let us consider one another.”

So many people today are shut up in the prison of self. Their basic problem is self-centeredness. And I have never met a self-centered person who was truly happy and enjoyed true peace. In fact, the more you concentrate on yourself, the more you worry about yourself, the more you seek to please yourself, the more your problems will increase. There is no solution to your problems in yourself. You’ve got to be released from that prison of self-centeredness. And here is one scriptural way to be released: Stop worrying about yourself. Stop caring for yourself all the time. Stop fighting for yourself. And instead, start to consider your fellow believers. “Let us consider one another.”

In Philippians 2:3-7, Paul sets before us the example of Jesus as one that we need to follow, and I think it’s very applicable to this resolution, “Let us consider one another.” This is what Paul says in Philippians 2:

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

That’s the exact opposite of considering one another, is looking out for your own personal interests. The release is to look out for the interests of others, to be more concerned about others than yourself.

And then Paul says here’s where we need to follow the example of Jesus. He goes on, Philippians 2:5-7:

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus...”

Remember I said at the beginning of these talks that our attitude determines our approach and our approach determines the outcome. Here’s an attitude for the New Year that you need to cultivate: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.

“...although he existed in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant.”

The Greek literally is, “a slave.” So Jesus, who was Lord of all, emptied Himself of all that and was willing to become a servant, a bondservant, a slave. And that is the attitude that Paul says we need to imitate.

Twelve Steps to a Good Year

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