We don’t have to think of what benefits us first; we don’t have to please ourselves without thought of others; we don’t have to live our lives the way we want to; we can choose to be different; we can choose to be like Jesus.
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15 v 1-4)
Jesus with all of his power, titles, position and rights gave them all up. What did he get in return? Insult after insult. Paul quotes Psalm 69 which was used in the gospels to describe the suffering that Jesus went through. We don’t know, but perhaps the ‘weak’ were throwing ‘insults’ at the strong?
The point is this that even though we might want to demand our rights to disputable matters, if Jesus could lay himself down, then we should follow his lead.
Missions Paul 