Be 3rd

In his book, Mere Christianity, author C.S. Lewis wrote: "Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody... If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed."

The most prolific writer of the New Testament, the Apostle Paul, In his epistle to the Philippians, expressly encourages everyone to think of others before themselves:  “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, preached the Gospel on the streets and in church services around the world, following his passion to meet the needs of strangers, and most especially the poor. When he was too sickly to attend the 1910 Salvation Army Convention in London, he decided to address the convention's attendees via a telegram, which was comprised of just one word: “OTHERS.”

Salvation Army co-founder Catherine Booth put the proper mentality into focus with the quote: “You are not here in the world for yourself. You have been sent here for others. The world is waiting for you!”

The world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, who for six decades traveled the globe preaching the Gospel, was considered one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century. His huge indoor and outdoor rallies, and famous annual Crusades, were anchored around his famous sermons, many of which were broadcast on radio and TV.  Graham, who began these public gatherings in 1947, and continued them until his retirement in 2005, once famously said of the expectation that we should be concerned for others, above ourselves: "Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength."

Academy Award nominated actor Gary Sinise, whose career has spanned decades on stage, prime-time television, and feature films, is probably most well known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Dan in the iconic film, Forrest Gump.  In an interview about his book, Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service, Sinise talks about the Gary Sinise Foundation, which he started to help those who sacrifice so much for us.  In remembering his reaction to the attacks of September 11, 2001, Sinise stated: "Things changed, in my focus changed. I wanted to do something to give back, and to support... What can I do?... Service is a great healer... Reach out and touch somebody and try to help them through it.  It can be your neighbor, it can be your town, it can be your state... And the more we can do for each other, the more we can help to heal this world, by trying to do something for my fellow man."

One of the greatest humanitarians in the past century, Mother (Saint) Teresa of Calcutta, demonstrated how to love and serve those around us, especially the less fortunate, who were considered outcasts, marginalized by those around them.  From a family of means in Albania, Mother Teresa abandoned the comfort of her home to venture to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India, once famously said: “The way you help heal the world is you start with your own family.”

On the efficaciousness  of prayer Saint Teresa said: “I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.”

Mother Teresa also uttered this compelling and eternal truth: “A life not lived for others is not a life.”