Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Status-climbing drives many human behaviors, especially in the working world. But the Bible is very clear for Christians: do nothing out of selfish ambition. There is no exception. Jesus Christ is our example and he is the context of Philippians 2:1-11. He made himself nothing, took on the nature of a servant, humbled himself, and was obedient to the Father in all things – even dying at the hands of his own creations. Dying to self (Col. 3:3) is very much about killing the motivations behind my selfish ambition. It’s about disciplining myself to attend to the interests of others, not just my own interests.
Father, I deeply desire to be more like your Son who emptied himself of all the glory that was his in order to accomplish your rescue mission for humanity (for me). Please show me where, how, and with whom you want me to serve, to care for the needs of others, to bring fellow sinners to the cross, and to be an agent of healing and transformation on this broken earth.