Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
What is selfish ambition? It is a motivation to uplift oneself or to put your own interests above another’s. It is a self-above-others approach. What does conceit mean? It is excessive pride or self-esteem. It is a high, often exaggerated, opinion of oneself. The rest of the verse tells us exactly how we can avoid acting selfish and conceited. “In humility count others more significant than yourselves.” If you’re putting others first, you won’t be conceited or proud or overly ambitious. It’s hard to be self-important when you’re considering others as more important. This is a very difficult verse. We, as humans, are at least a little naturally selfish. This verse requires us to look beyond ourselves. We instinctively look out for ourselves. It’s not in our nature to neglect ourselves for others. However, this passage is extremely important, because it gives us such a clear glimpse of what Jesus was all about. The highest call in a relationship is to give of ourselves to the other, even if there is a cost. It’s in this way that we follow the pattern of Jesus. It’s how we live in the way of Jesus…and with the heart of Jesus.
Spiritual Steve 