SPIRIT
“Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves.”
Philippians 2:3 GNT
As children, we were asked what we would like to be when we were all grown up. That sets the tone for ambition. We were encouraged to win awards in school and build our self-confidence just so we don’t feel less than who we really are. For some, the parents needed those accolades so they could use their children as grounds for boasting.
There’s nothing wrong with ambition or awards. What matters are the values behind them. The anchor scripture highlights three values that can influence how we build our careers in our adult years:
- Selfish ambition. Ambition is not a selfish act, but it can be if your motive is all about you. When people ask you why you strive so hard to earn that promotion or that increase in income, what’s your response? Is it just for something personal, or does it help others?
- Cheap desire to boast. I once had a friend from a wealthy home who used every opportunity to boast. Whenever his dad travelled out of the country or bought him something expensive, he’d talk about it proudly. I, on the other hand, was from a humbler background and just couldn’t find anything to boast about like him. I always felt inferior to him and worshipped where he walked. But when he left our school, I forgot about him fast.
- Humility. You don’t have to be poor or a newbie at work before being humble. In fact, research shows three stages of knowledge acquisition; you start as a newbie who knows nothing; you become an expert with the “I know it all” air around you; then you become that expert who realises just how much knowledge you don’t have. That middle phase is the most dangerous.
The single lesson in the verse is to “love your neighbour”. It simply supplies pointers on how to do that.
BODY
How does loving our neighbour help us succeed at work?
I have learned that building others is one of the greatest investments a leader can make in his or her team. People never really forget the parts of their lives that you changed. And even when they do, their very existence and the expression of the impact you have made in their lives pays you dividends.
When you use your ambition, awards and position to lift up those you work with, your transformation aligns with God’s will for your life. That’s the ultimate fulfilment of purpose.
SOUL
“One action I could take today to express humility is…”
(source: GrowthDay)
It could be you celebrating someone else even when you’re overdue to be celebrated. It could also be you taking some time out to fellowship with God, admitting that you don’t know it all. Whatever it is, drop the pride.
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