Ms. Charlene, my friend Dwayne’s mother, is ninety-four years old, under five feet tall, and weighs less than a hundred pounds. Yet this doesn’t stop her from doing what she can to care for her son whose physical health prevents him from caring for himself. Visits to their two-story home often find her on the second floor where she resides. Slowly, she descends sixteen stairs to the first floor to greet her guests, just as she does to assist in caring for the son whom she loves.
Ms. Charlene’s selfless determination convicts, challenges, and inspires me as she prioritizes her son’s well-being over her own. She models what Paul encourages in Philippians 2: “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (vv. 3-4).
Caring for those who have health challenges or other needs can be costly. The demands of life can be all-consuming, and even those closest to us can be shortchanged if we’re not intentional about taking our eyes off ourselves. But humbly caring and sharing is what believers in Jesus are called to do (see vv. 1-2). When we give of ourselves, we follow the example of Jesus and help others in the process. The apostle reminds us: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (v. 5).
