Skip to main content

New Article: The Necessity of Putting Others First

 

               If you were looking for an otherworldly spot to test what it might be like to live on another planet, the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii would be a good choice.  At least that is what NASA decided when they built a 1200-square-foot geodesic dome there and gave it the name HI-SEAS (“Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation”).

               Scientists in the dome were cut off from the outside world.  Food and other supplies were delivered at predetermined intervals.   If the crew wanted to go outside, they had to wear pretend spacesuits and they were only allowed to venture a certain distance from the dome.  NASA even established a communications delay of several seconds to simulate the time it would take radio signals to travel from Mars to Earth and vice versa.  Since it first opened in 2013, HI-SEAS has proven the reliability of NASA’s systems and it has given insight into what it takes to live in space for long periods of time.

               However, HI-SEAS did highlight one major problem in the system and that was the people!  This was especially true in 2015 when a six-person crew spent an entire year living together.  At first, everyone was excited and looked forward to getting to know one another.  Eventually, though, disagreements arose.  Some were annoyed that cups and plates were left in the common areas.  Others complained about crew members who stayed up too late or got up too early.  Everyone believed that their experiments deserved the most time in the various labs.  Soon, factions began to form, and, by the end of the year, it was obvious that placing six strangers from various cultures into a small environment was a huge challenge to overcome.

                It is easy to put yourself first.  It is logical to assume that your way is best.  It is tempting to see things from your perspective alone.  In fact, it is our natural default to think about ourselves first.

               However, Godly people must change that internal thought pattern.  As Philippians 2:3 says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. 

               That is the real challenge.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: The Biggest Problem Is Not Out There!

In a time when everyone has a vocal opinion on everything and judgment is everywhere, maybe we need to reconsider the words of Jesus. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).  Here are two observations to consider. First, when we look for what others are doing wrong, we are starting in the wrong place.  “Take the log out of your eye” is the first move.  Start with yourself!  It is easy to judge others and make excuses for ourselves.  Yet, that is completely backwards! If we are honest, we never get past making ourselves better.  There is always more to do.  This, then, leaves very little time to point out...
Post a Comment
Read more