20 Bible Verses About Putting Others First
Most of us know God calls us to put others first, but living this out isn’t simple or easy. Today, we’ll explore 20 Bible verses about putting others first. We’ll also explore practical ways to make sure we are putting people ahead of tasks while also maintaining balance.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you put others first.
Let’s begin by turning to God’s Word.
20 Bible Verses About Putting Others First
Scripture has a great deal to say about putting the needs of others first.
Bible Verses About Putting Others First
1. Romans 12:10 ESV
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
2. Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
3. Philippians 2:4
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
4. James 2:8
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
5. Philippians 2:5-8
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
6. Galatians 5:13
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
7. Ephesians 5:21
Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
8. Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
9. Matthew 22:37-38
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
10. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.
11. Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
12. Hebrews 13:16
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
13. Colossians 3:12
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
14. 1 Corinthians 10:24
Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
More Bible Verses About Putting Others First
15. 1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
16. 1 Timothy 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
17. Ephesians 4:2
With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
18. Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
19. John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
20. Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Let’s now apply these Bible verses about putting others first to our lives.
Practical Applications of These Bible Verses About Putting Others First
Recently, I went to the woods because I was tired of chasing the bottom of a never-ending to-do list. Tired of trying to measure up, improve my craft, and perform.
As I walked toward a cattail-thick swamp, my mind drifted to the words of the well-established literary agent who assessed my writing not long ago.
She told me my craft and my content were good, but I needed to build my platform and expand my audience.
The perfectionist within me quickly got to work.
I promoted, guest-posted, increased my freelance articles, and became ridiculously active on social media. Maybe a little obsessed.
Walking in the stillness of God’s created world, I was reminded that God’s calling on my life is not a calling to perform. His calling might involve a goal, or in my case, a number; however, the goal, the numbers, and the performance belong to him.
God’s calling is to put people first, above performance.
When I make performance my top priority, I miss the highest calling on my life. #encounteringGod Share on XStruggling to Put People First
This struggle extends far beyond the community of writers.
We see it in the nurse who loses sight of why she went into medicine as she just tries to get through her days.
It’s the teacher whose students fail to pass the state assessments, and she feels defeated.
It’s the business owner who can’t seem to get her head above water.
We find it in the mom who wanted to raise Christ-following world-changers. Instead, she spends most of her time cleaning messes and breaking up sibling squabbles.
We begin our journeys with idealistic hopes about making much of God. A few years down the road, we are drowning in the ordinariness of routines that are sucking us dry.
I was feeling dry and defeated when God stopped me in my tracks by the swamp.
My mind was suddenly filled with images of the faces of fellow writers.
I saw the faces of other women who are trying to draw others to God through their writing. For the first time, I seriously considered this thought: It’s time to stop chasing a better performance and, instead, aim to build an authentic community with these women.
It was time to put people first.
What if we all stopped chasing performance and became more intentional about loving the people God puts within our spheres of influence?
Whether this includes coworkers, clients, patients, competitors, friends, neighbors, or our own children, no one is in your life by accident.
I hurried home from the swamp and immediately asked God which women in my sphere of influence I should start regularly praying for.
I didn’t try to pray for every Christian blogger I know. Instead, I picked ten women whose names and faces stood out in my mind.
I wrote their names on a list and put it where I’d see it daily. Every morning, I lifted these women before the throne of God in prayer.
The Shift That Happens When You Put People First
Through this process, something in me shifted. A deep affection for each of these women grew in my heart.
I sent these women personal messages. I followed them on social media, not so that they might follow me in return, but so that I might bless and encourage them.
We began to build real friendships and point one another to Christ. This shift transformed my calling in a powerful way.
Regardless of how you spend your days, God has placed specific people within your sphere of influence. He wants you to love them with his love and help point them to Christ. Here are three simple steps to begin your journey of focusing on people instead of performance:
1. Put People First By Being Intentional About Prayer
Create a list of people within your sphere of influence for whom you feel led to pray. Prayerfully ask for God’s direction.
Divide the list by days of the week, and pray for different categories of people on different days (family, friends, coworkers, church leadership, neighbors, etc.), or use one list and pray daily.
Click here for a free prayer guide, including a beautiful prayer chart to download and print.
2. Put People First as You Encourage From the Overflow of Your Prayers
As you lift these people before God, keep an open heart.
When you sense the nudge to send an encouraging word, act on it.
Take ten seconds and send a text or email. Check in. Tell them you’re praying. Aim to encourage and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you do so.
3. Point Them to Jesus
Regardless of where your friends are on the journey toward Jesus, represent him by loving them well.
Follow his guidance and aim to stay in step with his Spirit as you speak the truth and encourage.
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These three simple steps radically changed my writing pursuits. I pray they will help you put people first as you resist chasing performance in your calling.
If these Bible verses about putting others first blessed you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotional eBooks below. Be blessed as you draw near to the King!
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 7, 12, and 16, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. I also recently released a teen devotional called Anchored, designed to help teens learn key biblical narratives and apply them to their lives. You can find these books here or read more below. 
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Devotions for Boys by Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
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