Look Out For Each Other!

           Philippians 2:3-4 ‭ (ESV‬‬)

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

When my parents allowed me and my siblings to travel to various places outside of their presence, one or both would say to us, ‘look out for each other and be safe.” In the same manner that my parents instructed us to look out for each other, Paul exhorted the church at Philippi to look out for each other. Looking out for fellow believers is a commanded responsibility that requires selfless ambition, a spirit of humility and balanced priority!

Christians can’t look out for each other if they’re self-driven, full of pride, filled with self importance or devalues the interest or needs of one another. Paul is not saying that Christians ought to look out for the interest of other members of their community at the neglect of their own interests. Rather Paul is saying that Christians must not allow selfishness to prevent them from seeking the unity and good of the community. Selfish desires and selfish pursuits are the cause of much of the strife, divisiveness and unmet objectives in churches today. Selfish ambition prevents unity and life transformation from happening in the Body of Christ!

In verses 5-11, Paul pointed the church at Philippi to the ultimate picture of selfless humility, Jesus Christ! Christ’s selfless humility is the reason believers enjoy eternal life. Selfless humility is necessary if Christians are to look out for the interest of each other. To achieve God’s best for your church family and personal family, learn how to practice selfless humility! And if the vision God has given for your community doesn’t come to pass, ask yourself, is it due to my failure to practice selfless humility?

God, I want my community to be effective and fruitful in every way, so help me to imitate the selfless humility of your son, Jesus Christ, Amen!

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