Genuine Concern

“The gospel liberates us to show genuine concern for the well-being of others.”

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 31, 2026

I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. Philippians 2:20, NIV

For many of us, one of the hardest things in life is to be genuinely concerned for others. Maybe it’s unfair to assume this about you, so let me speak for myself: one of the hardest things in my life is to be genuinely concerned for others! Most of the time, my thoughts, when left unchecked, focus on my wants, my needs, my desires. I daydream about what my life will look like in 3, 5, or 10 years. When I’m concerned, it’s about my well-being, financial stability, and comfort. Yes, the needs of my wife, my family, and my friends are mixed in as well, but at the core, no one is more concerned about me than I am.

The gospel liberates us to show genuine concern for the well-being of others. In Philippians 2, Paul commends Timothy to the church at Philippi with joy because he was, in a singular and remarkable way, filled with genuine concern for their well-being. Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone said the same about you and me?

We cannot be 100% concerned with ourselves and still hope or expect to have room left over for others. It simply doesn’t work that way, does it? Genuine concern for the needs of other people in our lives requires that we be liberated from an imbalanced, unhealthy obsession with self. Simply put, to love others well, we must let go of our natural tendencies toward excessive self-care and self-attentiveness at every turn.

There are more important things in your life than self-fulfillment. In fact, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that the opposite is true. It is in dying that we find life. It is in giving that we receive. We discover true fulfillment in serving, not in being served. This is the way of Christ, and the way he invites every one of his disciples to walk. So, by his grace, may we grow in our genuine concern for others and let this be a defining characteristic of our lives.

Prayer

Father, fill us with genuine concern for others, that we may find true life in giving ourselves away, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Application

Who is the Lord asking you to show genuine concern for in this season of life?

Related Reading

Matthew 20:26-28; John 12:24-25; Romans 15:1-2

Worship Resource

Steffany Gretzinger: I Love You Lord

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