It is those blessings that give us the most joy. The way that is done is by putting Jesus first, then others, then yourself.
Why not others first? That can work for a while. We are supposed to help others in this world. But, too often, that winds up becoming selfish in itself. We wind up doing things only to get others to notice us, instead of for God’s glory.
Some people do things for God and wind up getting the glory themselves. That’s fine. God knows the person’s heart. The Shunammite woman, for instance, was blessed by God. This shows that she had her heart in the right place when she did what she did for Elisha. Still, she could have had friends who accused her of only wanting to look good to them. Such talk, by the way, is why gossip is so bad. In modern times, Mother Teresa was very well known as a servant. I don’t know if she’d put her faith in Christ alone for salvation – only God knows. We can only know our own hearts with total certainty. But, she got credit for great work, even though she did all that she did not for herself or even others, but – in her heart - for God.
Though we can’t be 100% certain about others, Jesus does tell us to be careful. Matthew 7:15-20 is speaking of avoiding false prophets. However, we can apply what He says to other things, too. Especially because in the very next section, He warns that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter His kingdom.
This is not talking about salvation – “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13.) This is warning about those who say they are Christians, and act like it, but they are only acting; like the King of Belgium example. Even if – instead of acting mean – our impostor acts exactly like the King of Belgium, that doesn’t mean he is the King of Belgium.
How do we know a true servant of God? Jesus says we shall be known by our fruits – just as you know a pear tree is a pear tree because pears grow on it. That means acting in humility, and putting Him first. It has been said by many that true joy means “Jesus, Others, then Yourself.”
