Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Phil 2:3-4
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky Phil 2:14-15
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 26-27; Philippians 2
Paul delivered two heavy hitters in one short chapter. They happen to be two things that I am not so great at.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I act out of selfish ambition per se, but I will say this; if I don’t see a clear benefit then I have a hard time seeing the point of putting in the work. When you combine this with a need to actually do the work when I don’t want to, the grumbling and arguing came quick, fast and in a hurry.
I had one such day recently. I was looking at some projects that I have on my heart to complete and I just couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sure, I could see myself finishing them but I was wondering what the point was. When is all of this work gonna bring a brotha some coin!?
But the bad thing about this outlook is the negativity. Negativity feeds on itself. Once you start to get down about something then it’s easier to slip lower and lower to the point where you lose the momentum to carry on with the tasks at hand. If you allow discouragement to get a foothold then you’re really in trouble.
But fortunately I am blessed with some wonderful friends who encouraged me without even knowing it. They got my mind focused on faith rather than fear, on others rather than on myself. And through that reorientation of my focus I had the fuel that I needed to carry on with way more motivation than I have felt in months!
As long as we can remember that what we do isn’t all about us then we can keep our eye on the true goal; using our gifts and talents and labor to spread love. And, in so doing, we can make an impact on the world in a special and positive way.
"As long as we can remember that what we do isn’t all about us then we can keep our eye on the true goal; using our gifts and talents and labor to spread love. And, in so doing, we can make an impact on the world in a special and positive way."
ReplyDeleteYUP! Even when situations aren't the easiest to handle. Live in positivity. God will give all the encouragement and support to do so.
Btw: I dig the new format.
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Nice.
I really appreciate and enjoy all of
the energy and time you put into this blog.
I also appreciate you honest responses.
It's my pleasure. Thank you for continuing to read!
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