.....ordinary

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others Philippians 2:3–4

One morning, a wife walked into the kitchen and saw a beautiful long-stemmed rose lying beside the sink. She smiled, touched by what she assumed was a spontaneous romantic gesture from her husband. After all these years, she thought, he still knows how to surprise me. Then she noticed the note next to it: “Dear Sandra, Don’t touch the rose. I’m using the stem to unclog the drain.”

Turns out, the flower wasn’t the symbol of love she thought it was — it was part of a plumbing project. It’s a funny moment, but it reminds us that love doesn’t always look the way we expect. We’re often on the lookout for the grand gesture — the flowers, the notes, the mountaintop moments — but real love often shows up in far more practical and less glamorous ways.

Philippians 2 calls us to humility — to look not only to our own interests, but also to the needs of others. That means being willing to serve quietly, to love in mundane ways, and to value what’s helpful over what’s impressive.

Your spouse unclogging the drain may not look like romance, but it’s an act of love. Folding laundry, picking up groceries, or staying up late with a sick child — these aren’t Instagram-worthy moments, but they are sacred acts of selflessness.

We often want our love to be noticed, appreciated, even praised. But Christ calls us to something deeper — a love that’s rooted in humility, not attention. A love that stoops low, that quietly serves, that doesn’t seek the spotlight. Jesus himself showed us that the greatest love often looks like kneeling down and washing feet.

Make an effort to see the love in ordinary actions. And ask God to help you live with a heart that puts others first — even if no one sees it but him.

- alan smith

Father, thank you for showing us what humble love looks like. Teach me to value others above myself — not just in words, but in actions. Help me to see the beauty in everyday service, and to reflect your heart even in the smallest things. In Jesus’ name, amen.