Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) Do nothing
out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better
than yourselves. Each of you should look
not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
"Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble..." If you remember this song from 1980 by Mac Davis, you are dating yourself as am I. I went to You-Tube just to listen to the rest of the words and maybe take a short trip down memory lane. The journey did take me back to a different time, a different place, thirty-three years ago. At that time or season of my life, humility was not a strong suit.
What I find interesting is during those years of living for myself, not really thinking about anyone outside my husband and children, how very unhappy I was. Pride does not make pleasure. Thinking highly of myself and living selfishly will not provide joy or meaning to one's life. Selfishness can ruin a family but genuine humility can build it up.
The moment we stop treating others with contempt or as worthless beings, things change. There really is joy in serving others; there is pleasure in caring for someone. When I learned how to listen to someone else's troubles I realized God could use me. Once I got past the ill-conceived notion that I was the end-all-be-all, I was able to relate to others, to share my experience, strength and hope with them.
But God had to humble me, had to teach me how to look not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others. It is much easier to live in a world where I don't have to live up to my own prideful ambitions; where I can be real and recognize this wisdom of living life with an unassuming posture. It is then God will lift us up.
Philippians 2:1-11
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