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What's Next? Consider others

 


Other-centredness is a big theme in the letter to the Philippians.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ (Phil. 1:8-10)

The 'you' and 'yours' are all plural. Paul is saying that as your love as a community abounds more and more you will be able to discern as a community what’s best next. Working out what is best next is not a solo thing. It happens in community. So as you explore gospel work:

  • Seek the wisdom of your church family and leadership;
  • Fully involve your spouse and children in the journey (if you have them) – they need to be on board from the beginning and all through;
  • Listen carefully to family members and honour your parents (even if they are not Christians).

And just as love drives good decision making, so love also should be the driver of gospel work:

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. (Phil. 1:15-16)

The right motivation for gospel work is an other-person-centred love. Timothy is a great example of that – ‘genuinely concerned for your [the Philippians’] welfare’ (Phil. 2:20). This is another very important point to underline: we have got to ministering out of love for people. Sadly it is possible to pursue gospel work from twisted motives – coveting someone else’s (perceived) glory and position. With one study In Canada finding almost 1 in 3 pastors having narcissistic tendencies, this is not a small problem. 

Other-person-centred love is not just an issue for gospel workers. It is what Paul prayed for in his opening prayer for the whole Philippian church. It is the foundational, Christ-like, gospel-born virtue: 

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)

Instead of having a false and inward-looking view of ourselves (‘vain conceit’ – literally ‘empty glory’) we are to have a ‘humility’ shaped by the gospel (Phil. 2:1-2, 6-8) which looks outward to the concerns of others and is far more keen to serve than be served. This has huge implications for every Christian:

  1. It changes how we do whatever work we are doing: the motivation, manner, quality, quantity. We are to do everything in love. 
  2. It changes how we decide what line of work we will pursue. We are not pursuing a career for our own sake or to compete with others but we are looking to do what is best for others and lifts them up. “The question regarding our choice of work is no longer "What will make me the most money and give me the most status?" The question must now be "How, with my existing abilities and opportunities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God's will and of human need?" (Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor).

So in our decisions about what next, in our motivation, in our process of discernment – we are to consider others. This takes the focus off ‘me and my gifts’ and looks outward in love. 

But, finally, there is another even more important place we should be looking outside of ourselves... Consider Christ


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