You mean it's not all about me?

One of the biggest areas of impact for me, that growing in my understanding of my identity in Christ has had, is in the area of how I see other people.

I hate to admit this (simply because I hate that it's true), but one of the biggest areas that I struggle with is selfishness. Without even realizing it, an attitude of everything being all about me can creep right into my daily life. One of the things I adore about being a wife and mother is the daily abundance of opportunities to selflessly give. Same for being in a supervisory situation at work. I'm grateful that God's given me these opportunities to learn and practice making others the priority.

You know what? I've noticed that I'm not alone in this struggle.

There's just something in human nature that seems to call out to make ourselves foremost. I think that's why Jesus considered the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself one of the two commandments upon which all the others hinge. He assumed that people love themselves; people may not have healthy self images, may not like themselves, may even engage in self destructive behavior on some level - but at the core, they love themselves. When they're hungry, they want to eat. When they are in pain, they want it to stop.

The situation is so commonplace that there's even a goofy country western song about this topic that makes me smile every time I hear it.

But as I learn and grow in my understanding of the identity of the Believer in Christ, my mindset changes. As I think of how valuable we are to God, the fact that the all mighty Creator of the Universe has adopted us into His family,and that He has given us a purpose, hope, and future; my heart changes. It's difficult to live in awareness of this identity and not see others as valuable.

What about you, how does understanding your identity in Christ affect your relationship with others?