-
How many people served you today?
Think about the cashier who rang up your groceries, the person who made your coffee, the custodian who emptied your office trash, or the busser who cleared your dishes at lunch.
Could you name a single one of them?
Most of us move through life on a treadmill of our own making—locked into our calendars, our problems, and our destinations. When we’re that consumed with ourselves, the people around us slowly turn into scenery. They become functional furniture in the background of our personal movie.
Saint Paul famously addressed this human blind spot:
"Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3)
Putting others first sounds noble, but it starts with a virtue that has an image problem: humility.
Redefining Humility
Humility is widely misunderstood. It is not thinking less of yourself, putting yourself down, or pretending you don't matter.
True humility is simply thinking of yourself less.
When you’re secure enough in Christ to stop obsessing over your own status, image, and schedule, your field of vision expands. You’re finally free to notice someone else's burden, someone else's fatigue, and someone else's story.
That’s how Jesus walked through the world. He didn't just lecture on humility; He lived it. He noticed Zacchaeus perched in a tree, spotted the blind man begging on the roadside, felt the touch of the suffering woman in a pressing crowd, and watched the widow drop two tiny coins into the temple treasury.
Jesus saw people others stepped around.
The Talkers vs. The Doers
In Matthew 21, Jesus illustrates this with a punchy story about two brothers. Their father tells both of them to go work in the vineyard.
The first son rebels immediately: “I will not.” But later, he thinks better of it, changes direction, and goes to work.
The second son gives the gold-star response: “Yes, sir!” Respectful, quick, and polished. Except he never shows up.
Jesus asks the room: “Which of the two did the father’s will?”
The answer is obvious.
It’s easy to say "yes" to God on Sunday. We sing the hymns, say the Creed, and say "Amen" at Communion. But God is asking: Do your actions out there match the words you say in here?
It’s saying "I love my neighbor," while treating service workers as invisible.
It’s singing about forgiveness, while maintaining a frozen silence with a family member.
It’s posting about compassion, while refusing to give an inch of your personal comfort.
A delayed "yes" backed by action always matters more to God than an instant "yes" that remains empty.
The good news? The first brother proves that your first response doesn't have to be your final one. Even if you’ve spent months or years ignoring God’s call, you can change direction today.
2 Daily Shifts for the Week Ahead
If you want to practice real, active love this week, try these two daily habits:
1. Learn a name.
Make a deliberate choice to see the "invisible" people in your routine. Look the grocery clerk in the eye. Ask your server how their shift is going. Greet the custodian at your office. Learn their name. Simply acknowledging someone's dignity can alter the entire course of their day.
2. Allow yourself to be interrupted.
We guard our personal schedules like Fort Knox. This week, view unexpected interruptions not as annoyances, but as divine appointments. When a coworker needs to talk, a child asks for attention, or a neighbor is struggling, pause your agenda and make room for them.
Faith isn't measured by what we say—it's measured by how we live and who we notice.
Over to You!
Who is one person in your daily routine that is easy to overlook, and how can you acknowledge them this week?