"Selfish Ambition"

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV)

Being humble is a virtue that is not easy for many. Pride leads to trouble with both others and the Lord. Being proud of money, proud of status, and proud of anything- even being proud of our children can be taken too far.

God does not like the proud. In James 4:6, the brother of Christ wrote, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Giving credit where it is due, instead of taking it yourself, is being humble. This happens often in the workplace and even between friends. That is the proud and self-centered.

If we are gifted by the Lord and are complimented on our “gifts,” the credit goes to God. Often, we worry about how others think of us. We want to be known for who we are and what we do. In truth, we need only worry about what God thinks of us. Whether we are doing the work He has given us, whether we are walking the narrow path, and whether we recognize our own depravity and the gift of salvation the Lord has given to us, glorifying Him for His mercy and grace.

Being humble also means that when we err, we own up to our failure. We try to make right our wrongs. We are all infants in the eyes of God. We will make mistakes, but when we do, we correct the wrongs and are blessed for our corrections. In this Christian life, we are all in fellowship together and must rely on each other to walk the straight path. I am certainly grateful for my mentors, brothers, and sisters, for I am iron and so are they; we sharpen each other. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”

There is only one race, the human race. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Block, brown, white, and all shades of humankind: one race, one people. To bring them all together, we must preach and teach the gospel. We must reflect Christ's humility while gently leading others to Him.

The apostle John recorded what Jesus said, and it is we who should live by Christ’s command, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

May the grace and peace of God descend upon you. Amen