consider…

Consider Jesus…

Consider others…

These are two things He calls us to do…

consider… 1: to think about carefully: as a: to think of especially with regard to taking some action… b: to take into account… 2: to regard or treat in an attentive or kindly way… 3: to gaze on steadily or reflectively…

–Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th Ed.)

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:3 NIV

When it comes to Jesus… we are to consider all He endured… from us…

Look at Him… regard His way… so we do not grow weary… and lose heart… when it comes to following Him…

When it comes to loving others… those just like us… the sinners who cause Him so much trouble…

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3 NIV84

When it comes to considering others… we are to count them better… than ourselves…

Those who hurt us… irritate us… cause us grief… in our world… the whole world… He says… consider others better than you…

I wake with these thoughts running through my head…

Consider Him…

Consider others…

Beautiful One I love… Beautiful One I adore… Beautiful One my soul must sing…

And the connection comes together… this consider the One as well as others…

In Him… as we grow to know Him… love Him… for all He as done for us… get a grip on His love for us… we are called to love others in the same way He loves them…

Consider them… worth dying for as He did… consider others… all others… as greater worth than our own lives…

When we consider others… we should see Jesus… see the price He paid to bring all to Him…

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 ESV

In seeing His love for them… we consider them… with patience… kindness… humility…

With full acceptance of our own sin… which hung Him on the cross…

When we see Him… consider His love for us… we should also see His love for others…

Consider them… as He does…

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:17 ESV

We see Him as Beautiful… so we see others beautiful too…

Amen…