Read Philippians 2:3-4 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Discover
Being humble and thinking of others as better than ourselves runs counter to what we hear in culture today. Few of us consider ourselves selfish, but image management and people pleasing are the same thing. The humility Paul talks about in today’s passage doesn’t mean allowing others to mistreat or devalue us. It means releasing the desire to look good in the eyes of others or pushing ourselves to the front of the line. Joy slips out the back when our ego steps up front.
We all want to matter and be significant. That’s given to us by God. But when our ego tries to kick in, we have to let God refine our motivations so they align with His purposes. One simple way we can do that is through serving. Being a selfless difference maker means serving with no agenda other than helping people find Jesus. This not only points people to Him; it helps us grow.
Put your ego in its place. Take some time to assess the following questions. What is God asking you to do in response?
• Does the version of yourself that you reflect to the world match who you really are?
• When and where are you most likely to be a people pleaser?
• What do you do in a typical day to make yourself look good in the eyes of others or to push your way to the top?
• How are you serving others on a regular basis? Would you say you serve more out of selfish motives or selfless motives?
Respond
Use your Philippians Guidebook to reflect and respond. For a digital copy of the guidebook, visit tpcc.org/rebels-guide.
Want to go deeper? Look up the following verses to see how Jesus corrected his disciples’ view of position and serving. Note what you observe and then continue with your time of response.
• Mark 10:35-45