“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
I’m a not-so-proud member of the “Me Generation.” As a Baby Boomer, we brought you the self-centered conversation stopper, “But enough about me…what do YOU think about me?” According to Joel Stein of Time, there’s a new narcissistic kid in town. He calls Millennials the “ME ME ME GENERATION.” Don’t miss the all caps. They’re screaming for your attention. Stein calls them narcissistic, overconfident, entitled, and lazy. If you’re wondering what they’re up to, just log into Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and they’ll be more than happy to share it with you. These folks invented the selfie. Is there anything more self-centered and self-absorbed?
But before you get too cocky comparing yourself to Millennials (ironic isn’t it, that we’re proud that we’re not so proud?), narcissism isn’t limited to any one age group or demo. In the words of Elspeth Reeve, “Every Every Every Generation has been the Me Me Me Generation.” Sorry, Millennials. Looks like you’re no longer number one. A few centuries before someone snapped the first selfie, Paul tells his friends back in Philippi that every last one of us needs to get our eyes out of the mirror. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v3-4). Yes, I’m talking to you. And me. It’s time to climb down off our high horse. The very first words Rick Warren writes in “The Purpose Driven Life” are “It’s not about you.” In other words, the purpose of life is NOT YOU! He’s just summing up the same sentiment of the apostle.
Get over yourself.
Here in chapter two of his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul talks about the impact of Jesus on our lives. Once the Lord gets ahold of us, “encouragement in Christ…comfort from love…participation in the Spirit…affection and sympathy” (Phil 2:1) are a guaranteed part of our rescue. As a result, we become a team. And as the old saying goes, there’s no “I” in team. As part of Team Jesus, we should have the “same mind…same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (Phil 2:2). Nobody goes rogue. It’s all about giving God the glory and making our teammates better. Big TEAM. Little me. Huge GOD. Tiny me.
Before giving us instructions on what to do, Paul gives us a couple of land mines to avoid. Land mine number one: “Do nothing from selfish ambition” (v3). The man from Tarsus drops one Greek word (Gr. eritheia) that carries a truckload of ego. It means self-promotion, self-seeking, and a resent toward others based on jealousy. Aristotle used the word to describe dirty politics. Can you imagine a candidate campaigning for office by using unethical tactics? Yes, I am kidding. Stop working every angle to put yourself at the front of the line. Remember what Jesus told His posse. In His Dad’s kingdom, first is last and last is first (Mt 19:30; 20:26-27).
Get over yourself.
Paul points out the second land mine as “conceit” (Gr. kenodozia). Steer clear of groundless boasting, vain pride, or cheap talk. This word literally means “empty glory.” We’re talking about cockiness without basis. In Texas they call this “all hat and no cattle.” Don’t be a blowhard. Stop puffing yourself up! It’s not about you! There’s only One who deserves the applause. There’s only One who’s the star of the show. Here’s a tip…it’s NOT YOU! Jesus is the only One worthy of glory. Everything else is just flapping gums.
Get over yourself.
Once we’ve gingerly maneuvered our way past the IEDs of self, Hurt Locker style, the apostle instructs us to keep on keeping on “in humility” (v3). For most of my life, I had a jacked up view being humble. I thought I was supposed to continually put myself down. But C.S. Lewis knocked it out of the park when he said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.” It’s a “Me Third” attitude. God first. Others second. Me third. Or in the words of Paul, “in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (v3). Instead of looking out for number one, I must put myself in third place. I give God the glory by serving and sacrificing for others just as Jesus did. I serve because I’ve been served. I bless because I’ve been blessed. It’s thinking of myself less.
Get over yourself.
Before we get the idea that the apostle is talking about buying your salvation by giving it all away, Paul tells us to pump our brakes. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v4). Don’t miss the word “only.” It’s okay to look out for what we need but NOT at the expense of everyone else. Don’t buy the lie of poverty theology. But on the other hand, don’t fall for prosperity theology either. Look out for others. When we look up to Jesus, we look out for those around us.
Let’s face it, we’re all members of the ME ME ME GENERATION. The Millennials don’t have a lock on the title. We’re all sinful. We’re all selfish. We all need a Savior. Once Jesus comes to my rescue, I realize it’s not about me. A big part of my salvation is being saved from myself. It’s not about me. It’s not about you.
Get over yourself.
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