Jesus, thank you!

Monday, November 28, 2005

Rivalry and Conceit

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

A lot of people live their lives around one thing, selfishness. In fact, every person who has not been effected by the cross of Jesus Christ, is completely driven by selfishness. After all, what else is there? Some might say greed. Isn’t greed rooted in selfishness? There are two expressions of selfishness listed in this verse, Rivalry and Conceit.

What I think these two words mean in their context:
Rivalry
is seeing a lack of or a threat to something you value, so much so that a competitive attitude is developed toward the person who possesses what you lack, or threatens what you possess.

Conceit
Is finding pleasure in comparing what you possess, with what others lack.

A rivalrous attitude can come from perceiving another person’s conceit. This is often verbalized in statements such as, “I’ll show him!”, or “She thinks she…!”, or “Who do they think they are?”. Before we know it, we have a competitive attitude with those who are supposed to be on our same “team”. We are out to prove ourselves, even if it’s not clear to us what we are trying to prove.

Two conceited people can be in competition to prove who is more gifted, more witty, more knowledgeable, more spiritual, more attractive, more experienced, what ever the case may be.

Two people with absolutely no confidence in themselves; those the world would label as having low self esteem, can be in competition or rivalry to prove to themselves, eachother, and/or those around them that they are something they are not.

Sadly, these expressions of selfishness are seen not only among the lost, but among Christians. Evidently, Paul saw this problem when he wrote this letter, or he would not have given this instruction.

So, what attitude does Paul tell us to put on in lieu of rivalry and conceit? He tells us to be humble, or selfless. Humility throws cold water on selfishness. If humility is making others more important than myself, there’s no way I can, at the same time, take pleasure in perceiving what they lack. Also, if humility is producing these right attitudes in me, someone I perceive as conceited should not at all be a threat to me.

All in all, when meditated upon, the truth about the cross fights selfishness to the death. How foolish we are if we minimize it’s importance in daily living!

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
2Co 5:15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Posted by Jeremy Turner :: 9:21 AM :: 3 comments