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. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:3-5 (ESV)
The word for “humility” here is tapeinophrosune, from tapeinos meaning ‘low lying’. I used to have a plaque in my office which read, “Be humble or you’ll tumble.” It was Solomon who wrote:
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)
Instead of haughtiness, we need the mindset of humility. Someone has described humility as “insight into one’s own insignificance”. It is the mindset of the person who is not conceited but who has a right attitude toward himself. It has been said:
True humility is not putting ourselves down but rather lifting up others.
The next verse demonstrates it. It shows it in action. It is called ‘the two-four factor’ (i.e. Philippians 2:4). Verse 4 says:
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:4 (ESV)
This is a tough one because most of us secretly believe that we’re better than those around us and that our music preference should be prescribed for everyone. ‘To count others better’ includes an idea borrowed from the mathematical world, and means, “Think about it and come to a conclusion.” We are to count what is really there, add it up, and find out what is true. Are you looking out for the interests of others?
A young nurse once shared her story which beautifully illustrates Paul’s point here. She said, “During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: ‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’ Surely, this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
‘Absolutely,’ said the professor. In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.’ I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.”
Who is the ‘Dorothy’ in your life who needs your attention?