WEEK 2 ● Day 2
READ PHILIPPIANS 1:15-18
Have you ever struggled with someone else because they have what you want?
Her business is more successful than yours. She’s married, and you haven’t had a date since The Office first aired. She has kids, and you’ve been struggling with infertility for years. She just finished a gorgeous whole-home remodel, while you’re just praying the hinges of your kitchen cabinets hold on a little bit longer. You want to write a book, and she just signed a contract for five. You’re covered in baby spit up and haven’t showered in . . . um . . . two . . . no, three! Has it really been three days?! and she drops her kids off at preschool in stilettos, with perfectly blown-out hair.
Sigh. Grimace.
I get it. I’ve felt most of these things myself. And social media can amplify these feelings, right? I’ve made myself unfollow some women I truly love and admire because admiration has crept into envy.
Envy has a lot of dark sides. Unhealthy ambition, which envy is a symptom of, causes us to push other people down. Maybe we’re tinged with happiness when that woman we envy struggles in some way—she got a really bad haircut, or her perfect-looking marriage is in shambles, or her Harvard-bound son got in some legal trouble. We can start to see another person’s struggle as our benefit.
All that feels yucky, doesn’t it?
Well, that’s basically what Paul is talking about in Philippians today.
He doesn’t share all the details, but he knows that some folks are preaching the gospel out of selfish ambition. They’re likely thrilled that he has been arrested and see his absence as an opportunity.
1. What is the focus of these people’s ambition?
Christ? Furthering the gospel? Empowering the body of believers?
Nope. Self.
Yeesh.
We find this phrase selfish ambition (eritheia; ἐριθεία, pronounced e-ri-thay-ah) in several places within the Bible, including James and Philippians.
2. What are the main points of the following verses? (If you have time, read the passages in several translations—even head to the BLB and dig into the Greek!)
James 3:14-18
Philippians 2:2-4
If we look up eritheia (ἐριθεία) on Bible Hub, we find that it literally means “acting for one’s own gain.”[1] Have you ever been on the receiving end of this kind of treatment? Maybe someone has kicked you when you were down, swooped in and tried to benefit from your misfortune. If you’ve found yourself there, you have an idea how Paul might have felt when he wrote these verses.
3. When someone else treats you poorly or takes advantage of your hard situation, how do you respond? What does Paul’s response teach us about how to remain healthy and Christ-focused in the face of this kind of treatment?
You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.[2]
MAYA ANGELOU
Paul doesn’t defend himself or try to bolster his stature. He doesn’t bad-mouth the people who are relishing his imprisonment. Instead, he refocuses the conversation on what really matters: God can use even selfish ambition for His ultimate gain.
Because Paul’s focus is on Christ and not on himself, he doesn’t really care what these other guys are saying behind his back. Even if these prideful individuals are preaching out of envy and rivalry rather than the genuine desire to share the gospel—people are still hearing God’s message! Paul says in Philippians 1:18,
How am I to respond? I’ve decided that I really don’t care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on!
God can use anything for His glory. But He’d much rather use our redeemed hearts and our love for one another (John 13:35). How can we be women who build one another up instead of tearing each other down or being silently gleeful at another’s misfortune? There is enough room at the table for all of us, and we are stronger together. When did we start believing the lie that we can’t all win? That God can’t use all of us, amid both our similarities and our differences?
4. Do you struggle to genuinely and authentically root for someone in your life? What envy or resentment does God need to uproot in your heart?
5. What are some practical ways you can lift up the women around you this week?
Let’s be women who truly see and celebrate the significance of others. Let’s lift up those around us, encouraging them and affirming their gifts and value. When we choose authenticity and partnership instead of selfishness and envy, we will be living in pursuit of what ultimately matters: the Good News of Jesus infusing and affecting everyone around us.
Spend some time talking to the Lord about someone in your life who is difficult to love. Ask Him to uproot any bitterness or envy and help you to instead pray for their wholeness and flourishing.
Amen.