My dear readers,

Lowliness of Mind Needed 

Philippians 2:3: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” 

The “old” man strives and fights for everything. It begins from birth. He fights to get out into the world till the day he dies. The moment he breathes the air of the world, he cries. The day he breathes his last breath, he sighs. It seems like a long and exhausting battle. Is it worth it? Fighting for self-glory and how the big “I” must come up on top has been the norm. From school days to working life, it has been an unending breathless battle of the fittest. Humility is disdained. Pride is applauded. To survive in this present world of global economic market forces, only the callous will survive. To thrive and make it big, one must trample on all who stand in one’s way. Bulldoze his way to the top is the only way to succeed! Such a world of self-centeredness covers the face of the earth from the youngest to the oldest. It is evident in daily living. Watch how the “hungry” behave before a buffet spread. The speed of the disappearance of the best dishes the moment they arrive on the buffet table amazes even the swarms of locusts. Selecting the best schools for our children’s future has resulted in deceptions and moneyed donations. There is no limit to the self-centeredness in sinful man … until he meets Christ!

The transformation is miraculous and literally out of this world! The chief of sinners becomes the saintliest of saints! The Apostle Paul testified to this truth by his selfless life. When he wrote the epistle to the Philippians, he was under house arrest in Rome because of his faith in Christ. Some believers in the church at Philippi preached the gospel with the hope of becoming more famous than Paul. Paul dealt with this prideful motive.

As our church contemplates reopening the premises for worship, our Christian witness must come to the fore. To ensure that every member and friend of Calvary Pandan BPC may attend church at least once a month, registration to participate in the church service is needed. The planning has begun. Please pray for the people of God who are preparing this task and when registration for worship should begin. How registration is to be done will be explained as clearly as possible to minimize inconvenience. God willing, when the time comes for God’s people to register, due consideration for each other will be required from all concerned. Many of us desire to return to church for worship. There might be a queue. Therefore we need to be gracious and show consideration to others as Philippians 2:3 teaches us.

Motive of NO Vainglory or Strife – Paul encouraged believers in Philippi to stop doing things out of strife or vainglory. They preached a biblical gospel of Jesus Christ but they were in transgression because of their wrong motive. To deal with this grave problem speedily, Paul pointedly stated, “Nothing … through strife or vainglory.” To complete the sentence, the KJV translators added the words “be done.” The curtness carries an urgent thrust. The sin was severe. Hidden motives breed continuous transgressions. To strive is to compete with others. The desire to have the upper hand over others' ministries and their devotion in service reminded Paul of the “old” man. Christians need to replace competition with cooperation. Christ must increase, and all believers must decrease. Exalt only Jesus Christ in all that we do everywhere. Exalt Jesus Christ in every motive behind every deed. Paul did not seek any glory. The unwanted “fame” came with the ministry. The believers in the Philippian church strove for vanity. Improvement that is a result of striving is sin. To excel in more excellent service out of strife is also sinful.

The motive of boasting comes to the fore. A full-time worker sabotaged his co-labourers because he could not accept that he helped and others succeed. His capability was excellent, but his attitude was sinful. Such vainglory destroys the man and his service. God gave His children spiritual gifts for His glory and the blessing of God's people. A Christian must continually die to self. To accomplish this death, he needs to esteem others better than himself.

Others Before Self – Putting others’ needs ahead of our own reflects the believer's new life. He does this with lowliness of mind. Christ’s lowly mind replaced the proud mind of every believer. Salvation ensured that. Paul experienced this in his own life. He appealed to all believers to obey what Christ has done in their life. It is not impossible to think lowlily of self. Lowliness replaced high-mindedness when Christ saved him. Philippians 2:3 is not an impossible injunction. Every believer has a new way of thinking. This new normal dominates all his relationships. Instead of esteeming himself as he was once taught, he now esteems others better than himself. It is a wonderful new life to live. He is conscious of the spiritual needs of others.

It does not mean that the believer compromises the truth of God. It means that the truth of God is now seen in his life. His life is not perfect. But his life is holiness with consideration for the needs of others. He sacrifices his own needs and desires. They are not as important to him as before. Temporal things that once captured his heart have now lost their grip and attraction. He sees the spiritual in himself and others. Eternity in heaven or hell in the lives of others is a paramount burden. He prepares his heart to sacrifice anything of no eternal value to help a sinner know Christ. He gives up his personal preferences to help a fellow believer grow in the LORD. He does so with joy in his heart for Christ’s sake. There is no expectation of any praises from man. It is merely the right thing to do.

This Christ-centred mindset and heart attitude are needed when our church services resume. May God help all of us to esteem others better than ourselves from henceforth and forevermore. Amen.

Food for Thought -- 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22:“For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. … To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”