So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4, ESV)
I have the joy of preaching on Philippians 2:1-4 at Southpoint Fellowship in McDonough, GA this Sunday and in my study and preparation, I came across these 7 principles from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I won’t be using them in my sermon, but I still wanted to share them.
To eradicate selfish ambition in Christian community, Christians, Bonhoeffer says, should…
- hold their tongues, refusing to speak uncharitably about a Christian brother (or sister),
- cultivate the humility that comes from understanding that they, like Paul, are the greatest sinners and can only live in God’s sight by His grace,
- listen ‘long and patiently’ so that they will understand their fellow Christian’s need,
- refuse to consider their time and calling so valuable that they cannot be interrupted to help with unexpected needs, no matter how small or menial,
- bear the burden of their brothers and sisters in the Lord, both by preserving their freedom and by forgiving their sinful abuse of that freedom,
- understand that Christian authority is characterized by service and does not call attention to the person who performs the service.
Joseph McBee 