Self Ambition (Philippians 2:3-4) - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 12, 2021

We live in a world where we've been trained to look out for self and be self-indulgent. If we veer from this 'commandment', it is typically to care for our family members or those we see as being in our 'tribe'. That tribe could be people of your race, religion, folks from your city, etc.

However, the Bible has a very different standard from that of the world. Philippians 2:3-4 - 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.

Those of us who profess to believe in Jesus and therefore, in God, are called to be selfless. We are called to put the needs of others before ours. This is why in the early church, brothers and sisters in Christ would sell their belongings to ensure that the group had all it needed. They took care of each other and made sure nobody was lacking. Some of them even went the extra mile of allowing themselves to be martyred for the faith, choosing to emulate Jesus Christ.

So many have given up so much for us in this day and age to comfortably profess to be Christians. Sacrifices were made in sweat, blood and prayers to get us - modern-day believers - to this point. What sacrifices are we making for future generations of God's children? How are we contributing to them? Are we even exhibiting Christ-like humility to people around us today?

Let's focus on that last point - humility and putting the needs of others above ours. These are tough questions we need to ask ourselves. And no, I am not excused from that soul-searching exercise. Let us ask ourselves, do we regularly help people? And without an expectation of something in return? How selfless are we to strangers? Fine, not strangers, what about our coworkers? How about our family? Are we considerate of others?

One way we can accomplish this is by striving to be humble the way Jesus was. He put His needs on the backburner and served others (Philippians 2:5-8). We can achieve this in small ways such as praying for others (Ephesians 6:18), thanking God for them (1 Timothy 2:1), and helping others with our money or skills (Matthew 25:40). How about making the feeding or clothing of others a regular budget item each month no matter how small?

These are just a few ways to prioritize the needs of others above our needs. May the Lord help us to be more like Jesus and to serve others to the glory of God. May He help us to become selfless. May our behavior reflect godliness and sow seeds for the children of God today as well as future generations of believers, IJMN, Amen.

See you at Noon EST for P&P. God bless you!