Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” ESV Philippians 2:3

I have a friend, Steve, who moved to Memphis a few years ago. But thanks to technology, and a little effort on our part, we’ve managed to stay in touch. And once or twice a year we’ll either get together for a bike ride or our families will do something together. True friends are hard to come by, so it’s worth the effort.

Steve and I both enjoy reading good books on theology and/or ministry. So during the course of a year we seem to always give one another a book that we think will be “particularly meaningful.” This year for instance, I gave Steve a book on the subject of prayer with the hopes that it would enrich his view of prayer.

Sometimes the titles are more personal. Last year, Steve gave me a book that I presume he thought would be “particularly meaningful” to me. It was titled Humility: The Forgotten Virture. Ouch! With friends like Steve,…

Truthfully though, I need more friends like Steve; we all do. We all need friends that are willing to come along side us, encourage us, support us, and if necessary, gently correct us in an effort to help us live our lives in a manner that glorifies God. Where do you find friends like that? At church perhaps? I certainly hope so.

Our verse today deals specifically with humility within the church. It is excerpted from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi; a church that he had been instrumental in planting during his second missionary journey. So, in its immediate context, it is applicable to unity in the church. But the truth of these words reaches far beyond church walls. Think of how much richer all of our friendships, marriages and family relationships would be if we genuinely put these words into practice; always considering others more significant than ourselves. The results would be nothing short of stunning.

We have a perfect example of humility in the Bible. The perfect example of humility is Christ. Paul tells us that He willingly left heaven, came to earth in the form of man and humbled himself even unto death; death on a cross. Now, think about that long enough to let it soak in; from paradise, to crucifixion as if a criminal. You won’t find a more extreme example of humility anywhere. And He did it all for His bride; the church.

Having just celebrated Easter, we know that Christ’s humility was not in vain. Death couldn’t hold Him; He rose from the dead! And God the Father has honored Him with “the name that is above every name.” He has been given the name before which “every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ESV Philippians 2:10-11

If you, like me, have ever been guilty of letting pride rear its ugly head in your life, I challenge you, in obedience to Scripture and in honor of Christ’s example, to strengthen a relationship this week by deliberately putting someone else’s interests ahead of your own. The results of sincere humility may surprise you. One word of caution though. If you end up proud of being humble; humility escapes you still.

-Ken Askew