Toy Stories: Ken — Provider vs. Performer - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (ESV)
There are some things that always go together.
When you see lightning, you know the sound of thunder will follow. When you sit at a table, there is hardly ever a salt shaker sitting alone; you see pepper sitting right next to it. If you see a cartoon cat named Tom, you know there must be a cartoon mouse named Jerry nearby. Again, some things always go together.
In yesterday’s devotion, we talked about Paul’s challenge for followers of Jesus to do nothing from selfish ambition. But as we see, Paul did not stop there. Paul also challenged followers of Jesus to do nothing out of conceit. And I believe Paul said this because he knew that selfish ambition and conceit are two things that always go together.
While selfish ambition is a strong desire for personal benefit, accomplishment, and success, conceit is an excessive pride in one’s benefits, accomplishments, and successes.
Selfish ambition and conceit go hand in hand. Just like lightning and thunder, where selfishness strikes, conceit is sure to follow. They are always seen together.
Not only are they always seen together, but I also believe they grow from the same seed. Meaning, if we notice the seeds of selfish ambition and conceit growing roots in our hearts, we will be able to weed them out of our lives simultaneously.
If you could somehow prevent lightning from striking, you would also prevent thunder from clapping. If we weed out selfish ambition, we will also weed out the conceit within us. The only question is, how do we do that?
Well, as we discussed yesterday, to rid ourselves of selfish ambition, we must replace it with selfless ambition. And if we are successful in that, if we become more ambitious towards a selfless nature, we will find conceit receding alongside selfishness.
Why? Because conceit is a puffing up of our own chests, selflessness deflates our chests. Conceit is rooted in self-admiration and self-love; selflessness calls us to admire and love others. Conceit is driven by pride, and selflessness by humility.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. They go hand in hand. They are always seen together. If we weed out selfish ambition, conceit is sure to follow.
APPLICATION
This week, look for opportunities to humbly admire and encourage others with your words. Do not do this so that your own chest would be puffed up or to say “look at how nice I am to others,” but rather to get the focus off of yourself, and onto others.
PRAYER
Jesus, thank you for your grace that is new every morning. I know that I make selfish and conceited decisions sometimes, so please help me to focus on others. Point out the people in my life whom I can love and serve today. Help me weed out not only the selfishness within me, but also the conceit within me, too. Amen.