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Do Nothing

             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. (Philippians 2:3-4)

The first question that came to mind this morning as I read these verses was, “What’s the difference between selfish ambition and vain conceit? Aren’t they basically the same thing?” Not surprisingly, the answer is that they aren’t. Selfish ambition involves trying to get something or somewhere. Vain conceit is the sense that we’ve already arrived or have gotten it.

So, is it wrong to want to do something? To have something? To be something? First, these are probably the wrong questions because they’re too vague. They’re like trying to climb Mt. Everest from our living rooms. Perhaps before trying that, we should go outside and climb up a hill in our neighborhood. It’s impossible to deal with the ultimate when we don’t even address the petty.

Let’s start with the fact that this passage is not about keeping score. It is about (as one friend put it) who you trip over on your way across a room. I’ll amend that to “who or what.” In this minute, is there someone or something whose interests or needs you can address? Is there someone or something you can choose to value? Don’t worry about whether you’re valuing them more than yourself – just take the time to value them. It might just be a smile, or holding a door. It might be listening. It might be forgiving someone for their lack of attention to your needs and preferences. It’s not so much about actions as it is about habits and character.

When COVID hit in 2020, one of the things I decided to do was to smile and wave at people as they drove by. I figured mine might be the only smile they saw all day. It didn’t matter how silly I felt. Don’t worry about sacrificing your life for others – just figure out something you can do today  - or right now.

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