Unity Through Humility

"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." (Philippians 2:3-4)

Once again Paul called for unity; he told the believers in Philippi that they could make his joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Then he proceeded to tell them how they could achieve this unity. Selfish ambition (selfishness/self-gain) and vain conceit (pridefulness/self-importance) are unity killers. "Whereas selfish ambition pursues personal goals, empty conceit seeks personal glory and acclaim. The former pertains to personal accomplishments; the latter to an over inflated self-image. Understandably, a person with such conceit considers himself always to be right and expects others to agree with him. The only unity he seeks or values is centered on himself." (MacArthur) Paul wanted us to see that in order to have unity, we must get rid of self-centeredness and arrogance. Preoccupation with self destroys the unity among the Body of Christ. Humility is the antidote for vain conceit and consideration for others is the antidote for selfish ambition. We should not focus on our own needs & interests and become completely absorbed by our own concerns. Instead, we should be considerate of others and seek to meet the needs of others. "Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights." (John R. Wooden) "It is not a weak man’s surrender, but a strong man’s rejection of selfishness and determination to be actively concerned with the needs and interests of others." (Richards) "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:10) 

Humility means realizing that "our competence comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:5) Humility means being willing to selflessly do any task God has given us. Don't be envious of what gifts God gives others and/or how He uses them to do His kingdom work. Humility means recognizing that we are not infallible. In other words, be teachable no matter how old we are or how many years we have been Christians for. Get rid of superior attitude, prejudice, and boasting. True humility is about self-denial. To put others above ourselves is contrary to our human nature and can only be accomplished by the power of the indwelling Spirit in us.  "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." (Galatians 5:25-26) "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:2-3)

"Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself at all." (William Temple)

"Humble yourself and cease to care what men think. A meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather,...he has stopped being fooled about himself. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He has obtained a place of soul rest. The old struggle to defend himself is over." (A.W. Tozer) 


"It is in seeing others as persons of great worth because they are loved by God and in seeing ourselves as their servants that we find the fulfilling lifestyle of humility." (Larry Richards)

Christians are to move from self-seeking/self-promotion to self-denial and servanthood. Want true joy? "J.O.Y." "J" for Jesus first, "O" for others next, and "Y" for yourselves last.

"As we esteem others better, we will naturally have a concern for their needs and concerns; this sort of outward looking mentality naturally leads to a unity among the people of God. If I am considering you above me, and you are considering me above you, a marvelous thing happens: we have a community where everyone is looked up to, and no one is looked down on." (Guzik) Humility brings unity!

Test of true humility:

"First, the test of precedence:

'Do you feel badly when others are honored, because they outshine you?'

Second, the test of sincerity:

'All too often, people say things about themselves to sound humble, when they really are not.'

Third, the test of criticism:

'Do you react unfavorably when someone points out your shortcomings?'

If you gave yourself a perfect score on this test, you failed the test of humility." (Richard DeHaan)

Beware of false humility--When you are proud of your humility, that's false humility. When you try to appear humble so that others think you're humble, that's false humility. False humility is self-centered; true humility is God-centered.

To ponder: Do we care too much about our own comfort, pleasure, and recognition? Do we seek approval, appreciation, and admiration from others more than seeking to encourage, edify, and serve others? Are we quick to give grace and forgiveness or quick to judge and criticize? Is our motive and attitude "What can I get out of this?" or "What can I do for you?"?

Prayer: Abba Father, please forgive me for my pride and selfishness that keep rearing their ugly heads from time to time. Please help me be able to continually die to self and put others above myself. Please instill in me Christlike humility and love. Please empower me to faithfully and joyfully put Philippians 2:3-4 into practice in my daily life. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.