10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Too many of us are pushing for the spotlight. Our culture pushes the lie that everyone can be in the spotlight, that only those in the spotlight have value. Women are pushed into the workforce because being a mom and having kids isn’t worth doing fulltime. You have to have a career in order to be of value. Being the molder and shaper of the next generation is not enough. You have to work two fulltime jobs in order to prove you have value. What a crock! This verse says that we need to try to outdo one another in showing respect. We should be stumbling over each other in our efforts to lift up the godly qualities we see in each other. We saw the use of ‘spotlight’ very well in the Presidential campaign this past year. The one who got the most light, got elected. The light was carefully focused so that it did not penetrate too deeply, but only revealed what was carefully scripted. We need in our lives to work to lift up others. Our job is to be the ultimate servant. Sometimes the spotlight will shine in our direction. What are we going to do when we are its object? Are we going to absorb all the light ourselves or bounce it toward the Lord? If we have anything, it comes from the Lord. Our talents and abilities, our strength and breath all come from the Lord. Who are we to grab the honor and keep it for ourselves? If we get a big head in the process, we have failed. Big heads mean something is very wrong. Death occurs when heads swell. Work today to find the better in someone else and turn the spotlight on their good. Do it in such a way that the Lord gets the glory, and that you don’t become the object of the light and they are lifted up.
The Arnold Journey 