Do "nothing" out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Phillipians 2:3
Really Paul? You can't be serious can you? "Nothing"? Really? ....... I am so not there. In fact just about everything I do is out of gross self interest. Surely Paul's words don't apply in the grocery store do they? We have all been there. You spot a lane at the grocery store and you look up and so did a guy on the other side and your in a hurry. My first thought is "speed up". Get there first. Isn't it true we have that thought every day all day? Getting to the isle first would be selfish so on my better days I let the guy go ahead. But where I think it is most difficult and also the greatest test is when we have been wronged by another person.
The greater the offense the harder Paul's words become. "Do "nothing" out of selfish ambition. Consider others better than yourselves." This is impossible when we believe we have "rights". It is so easy to fall into the trap of the world mindset that says we deserve better, we deserve more. We easily say to ourselves "It's my turn" I am doing this for me" All those "me" statements are very real and natural to the carnal flesh. And no doubt Dr. Phil would affirm your right to happiness. But Paul's admonishment is the exact opposite of the "Me First" way. As Christ continues to transform my heart I grow ever increasingly aware of my self centered ways.
In my depraved state I just have one set of lenses. They are the "me" lenses. And those are the only lenses I see everything through. You see it everywhere in advertising. We live in the entitlement age. We have all seen the ads with common themes like "you deserve the best" You deserve the nice car, nice house, nice whatever, and you especially deserve a break. The reality is that we don't "deserve" to be happy. It is NOT our right. What we deserve is death. What we get is life and freedom. Freedom to serve the One who purchased us with His own blood. Paul said, "I am not my own, I have been bought with a price." I Cor 6. We serve at His pleasure. He does what He wants to when He wants to with us.
To make a statement like "I deserve this or that" or "I am not going to put up with it any longer", is a form of rebellion that has no place within the heart of the believer. We serve at His pleasure. He determines what we put up with and for how long.
While Paul was in prison, beaten, starved, cold and wet, chained to the wall, he wrote to the Phillippian believers. He could have wrote of his sufferings, his health, his loneliness, his anger at his tormentors, his mistreatment, the injustice, his wounds, or his hunger. But had he done so he would have not been able to write "do nothing out of selfish ambition" he follows it up with the impossible "consider others better than yourself". If he is going to be true to that statement then he can't dwell on his pain and suffering can he? Rather he has to do what he did and that is focus on the Philippians and their needs and his desire to see God's glory magnified in his trials.
By the end of his letter to the Philippians he writes "Rejoice and again he said to rejoice" Phillipians 4. In his sufferings, while focusing on others, he comes to a place of peace and can say "Rejoice!" Paul puts me to shame. In his suffering he was true to his exhortation. While he could have, like me focused on his pain, he instead focused on the only lasting joy, the edification of the Lord's glory and His great name. Focusing on others provided the strength that he needed to endure but Paul gives another clue to his unbelievable overcoming strategy.
In his letter to the Romans Paul doesn't dwell on the past or his present condition but rather he looks to the hope he has in Christ. In Romans he writes, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:16-18
Do I truly believe that the future glory is worth any pain I might endure here? Do I truly believe that in spite of pain or offenses that I should serve others including those who offend in hope of realizing a greater glory? If given the choice of removing myself from any discomfort and pain or remaining faithful and serving others would I choose to stay and serve? What do I believe? When is faith most evident? Is it most evident in good times or is it's greatest demonstration in times of pain?
I guess I need some more time on the alter putting my flesh to death
