March 17, 2011 … Threats to Humility: Selfishness and Conceit

Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 3 - 4 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

My Journal for Today: Well, here we have our premise for the month stated very clearly in another way by an Apostle who was languishing in prison when he wrote this, totally humbled before God, yet exhorting believers to learn what he had learned in life – that the only way to live in God’s kingdom is to humble ourselves before God and others. The Apostle Paul realized how common it was (is) for Christians to succumb to the very human drives of selfishness or conceit, setting aside humility, and thereby forfeiting God’s grace in their endeavors. That’s why he was so forcefully exhorting the church at Philippi (and us too!) to avoid such self-directed agendas, which he knew would lead to factionalism and divisiveness within the church – which, in turn, he knew would destroy the unity about which he wrote to others in the church at Ephesus (Eph. 4: 3 - 6). He also warned the church at Corinth in this way (1st Cor. 3: 3); and he told the Galatians (see Galatians 5: 16) how imperative it was to bring selfishness under control.

But do we in the church of today understand and apply that repetitive exhortation? Do we get it?! I think not! Unfortunately, there is far too much factionalism and denominational pride standing in the way of God’s Church being able to use the presence and power of God through His unlimited gift of grace in today’s world. Oh, if we – the Church - could simply live as God dictated to us in today’s verse.

As John MacArthur points out in Strength for Today, it is not wrong for believers or God’s church to have agendas and/or plans as long as the attitudes behind these plans are motivated by humility and a consideration for all involved; … hence, the pronouncement of Phil. 2: 3 – 4. If this were to be the case in God’s church and for individual believers, God would be lifted up by the humility of those who mimic His attitude, which just happens to be the subject of Paul’s charge in the very next verse (see Phil. 2: 5). However, when foolish selfishness and/or vain conceit are at the heart of the plans we conceive in life or as His church, we move out on our own; and that was the prospect that Paul was trying to help the Philippians (and us) to avoid.

Prayerfully we will get the message and then live it the way God intended for us to live.

My Prayer Today: Lord, convict me … direct me … to consider others first in all my plans. Amen

March 15, 2011 … Threats to Humility: Possessions and Position

Passage of the Day: Philippians 2: 3 - Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit; but with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself.

My Journal for Today: We continue on with a discussion of life issues which promote pride and thereby impede us from a Christlike attitude of humility. And two such issues are possessions and position.

Moses clearly warned God’s people, and thereby all of us, against the pride that grows out of achievement and accumulation, when he wrote in Deut. 8: 17 – 18 …

SCRIPTURE: Deut. 8: 17-18 … You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, …

I think we all know that the pride which can come along with the accumulation of wealth/power often goes hand-in-glove with class-related pride. I know that on more than one occasion, even after I became a Christian, on several occasions, I became convicted of thinking of myself as “better than” someone else just because of where I lived or because of those with whom I associated. But, in these instances, God has helped me to confess of this sinful pride and repent to pursue a more Christlike humility. What about you? Have you ever had to turn around from prideful selfishness or vain conceit?

But we have a model, the perfect model of just the opposite, in the life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus, … a life devoted to humble ministry to the poor, … a life totally devoid of class-related pride. And Christ’s most ardent and righteous anger was directed at religious leaders who loved to flaunt their position/power (see Matt. 23: 5 – 7).

SCRIPTURE: Matt. 23: 5-7 … [Jesus] "Everything they [the religious leaders] do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' "

The advertising industry today tries to get us to buy into the world’s siren call to have more … or to be the best we can be … or to build our self-image. But God’s anger is severe, as we read above, against such attributes [see also Isaiah 3: 16 – 26 - linked here]; and the Holy Spirit, through John taught us to avoid the pride of life which comes from the lust of the flesh and the eyes (see 1st John 2: 15-17) … because nothing eternal comes from these pride-driven attitudes.

My Prayer Today: Keep me, Lord, from the pride of life as seen in this world. Amen