https://odb.org/2025/10/06/making-room-for-others
Philippians 2:1–11 (NIV): 1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
At electric vehicle charging stations across the United States, some drivers overstay their time at “fast-chargers,” which are designed to help drivers quickly charge their cars and get back on the road. To resolve this unkind behaviour, one of the largest charging networks has implemented strict time limits at some of its busiest stations. When a vehicle’s battery charge reaches eighty-five per cent, the driver must make room for the next car in need of a charge. (Marvin Williams, ODB 6 Oct 25)
I’m not sure whether we have the same system in Malaysia as fast DC chargers become more common, and more and more electric cars now have higher charging capacity. For example, the just launched Xpeng G6 facelift can reach a state of charge of 80% from 20% in just 12 minutes as its 80.8 kW/h LFP battery architecture supports 5C charging with a charging capacity of 451 kW! But what I have seen in Malaysia are ICE cars parking at EV charging bays! Of course, the solution to this issue is not just education and civic-mindedness but also laws and enforcement. Humans, by nature, are a selfish bunch!
But as Christians, it’s a totally different kettle of fish. We, on the other hand, are moulded by the Holy Spirit to be selfless. As we move away from our old self and embrace our born-again spiritual nature, we will inevitably become less and less selfish. As we think and consider more of the needs of others, the world may laugh at us or call us stupid. But will that bother us? No, because we put Christ first in all that we do. We have an eternity mindset and people who are minded as such, always putting the interests and needs of others first. For example, in a buffet, when we see that there are only 10 large juicy and succulent prawns left at the tray, a believer will just take two so that others will have their fair share but a selfish individual may just take all 10! As for me, I will probably take 3 – I’m not that selfless!
Selfishness and selflessness are virtues we need to deal with as part of our spiritual formation and character building. There is no need to maximise our gain. Always leave a fair share for others. In the end, if we had taken the 10 prawns, it may look like a win, but in economic theory, we know that too much of a good thing is never a good thing! Not only two will taste better than 10, but it will leave us more room to savour other delicacies! Put others first, and not only that it pleases God and confounds the world, it may well be good for us, actually!
Have a good week ahead, everyone, and start putting others first!
Ronnie's Thoughts 