As Paul moves into chapter two of his letter to the Philippians, he writes perhaps the most practical and much needed exhortation in the New Testament. His words here set up the comparison to Christ that will come in the following verses.

You can see this for yourself in Philippians 2:3-4:

Paul gives this practical instruction in the form of two negative terms followed by one positive term. This, in turn, is followed by a very practical example of how to do this, carrying on the thought of verse three.

All of this is in anticipation of the examination of Christ’s own humility, which is to come in the next few verses, quite possibly an old hymn that Paul uses to display this quality of Jesus.

But here, Paul specifies that we are to take emulate Jesus, by avoiding these negative qualities, and taking on the positive.

Negative Number 1 – Selfish Ambition

First, Paul states to do nothing out of selfish ambition. This is the spiritual sickness that rests in the heart of the church, potentially bringing its downfall. Paul uses this same word in Philippians 1:17, describing the divisiveness of his enemies. Here, it means more in line with petty squabbles and arguments. It is self-seeking, arrogant, and focused on nothing outside of one’s own self.

Negative Number 2 – Vain Conceit

The second term Paul lists here is vain conceit. This conveys the idea of empty glory, or empty opinion. Neither of these negative terms are something to be proud of, and both paint a very discouraging picture.

The Positive – Humility

However, there is an alternative, and one that seems to be the cure for both of these spiritual sicknesses. Humility is the key. In the ancient world, humility wasn’t a positive trait, instead it was seen as an abject cowering in the face of one’s enemies. It wasn’t until the time of Christ that humility began to be a desirable characteristic.

Humility is not a sense of valuelessness or worthlessness, but, as Paul goes on to say, a concern for others that puts them before oneself. Again, humility is the key.

In the following verse, Paul makes this practical. He tells the Philippian believers to look to the needs and interests of other above their own. Notice what he does not say. He does not tell them to not look out for themselves at all. This is not a complete denial of self at all. This is a prioritization of the needs of someone else before my own.

In fact, this could even be addressed to the most spiritual among us. We must not be so concerned with our own spiritual growth and cultivating our own spiritual life that we miss such traits in the lives of others.

No, our goal is to be like Jesus. Paul will turn to Christ next, and give us the example to follow.

Question: Do you struggle with the negatives Paul lists here? What do you do to instill humility instead? You can leave a comment by clicking here.