Look Outside

by Chris Simmons

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.” Satan tempts us to get wrapped up in ourselves and become selfish in our focus and in our approach to life. “Selfish ambition” represents the wisdom of the world (James 3:14-16) and illustrates a life focused solely on what’s inside self. To please God, we must learn to look outside our self.

Look outside yourself to see the opportunities. Inside are your problems, challenges and obstacles. Outside of our self are chances to focus on the problems, needs and concerns of others. Inside is conflict and doubt. Outside is an opportunity to make a positive impact and make a difference in someone else’s life. We become a great big package by looking outside and seeing opportunities to make a difference in word or action in someone else’s life. We need to look outside to see opportunities to be of service to one another (Galatians 5:13; John 13:13-15). We need to look outside to “admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, (and) be patient with all men” (I Thessalonians 5:14). This is only possible if we adopt the view that Paul describes in Philippians 2:3-4 where he wrote, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” We each have hope only because Jesus looked outside Himself when “emptied Himself” by “taking the form of a bond-servant” and “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

Look outside ourselves and the church to see a world lost in sin and in desperate need of purpose, hope and salvation. Jesus said in John 4:35, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” Now is the time to see the opportunities and to be the influence God needs us to be. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” We must look outside to see the opportunities and learn to both recognize them and make the most of them. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:5 of our need to, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” In Galatians 6:10 Paul speaks of opportunities to do “good.” This “good” is to be directed toward teaching those who walk according to the flesh to turn and walk according to the Spirit.

Look outside this earthly life to see all that God has intended for man beyond this life. This fleshly life isn’t what it’s all about. We need to look outside this life and realize that “while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord” and to maintain the perspective that we’d “prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him” (II Corinthians 5:6-10). Paul explained his conflict between looking outside and seeing the opportunities to serve and teach those lost in sin and looking beyond the temporal things of life and wanting to be with the Lord in Philippians 1:21-24. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” Our flesh will indeed one day fail us all as Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 of the “evil days” that accompany our aging fleshly existence. Paul however reminds us that we are not to “lose heart” over the fact that our “outer man is decaying” because we are to look outside to see the “eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (II Corinthians 4:16-18) if we have served God faithfully and obediently in our life.

Like Timothy, I was so blessed to have parents and grandparents to teach me God’s word and display His truths in their lives (II Timothy 1:5; 3:14-15). Throughout my life, I will always remember the lesson my mother taught and displayed to me to always look outside. May God bless us in our efforts to develop the spiritual vision we need to look outside ourselves and outside of this physical life and see the hope, glory and riches (Ephesians 1:18-19) that await His saints beyond our temporal fleshly existence.