Bible League: Living His Word Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.The culture of this day and age often upholds values that are the exact opposite of the values our verse for today advocates. The culture we live in often upholds values that emphasize our own selves rather than others. As a result of this emphasis, selfish ambition can rear its ugly head. The trouble with selfish ambition is that it tends to trample upon the rights and precedence of other people. There's nothing wrong with ambition, but selfish ambition runs roughshod over others. The selfishly ambitious person tries to take the short route to the top by stepping over those above them. They try to exclude and demean people on their own level that they perceive as threats to their rise up the ranks. And they try to block those beneath them from promotion for fear of creating a rival. The motivating factor of the selfishly ambitious person is vain conceit and pride. They cannot imagine that anyone else is more deserving of promotion than they are. They never think of the worth and value of other people. They never think that another person could be more significant than they are. Our verse for today, in contrast, says that we should have the opposite attitude. We should count others more significant than ourselves. Our motivating factor should be humility, not conceit and pride. As Paul goes on to say later in the chapter, our example should be Jesus, ". . . who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:6-7). Humble people do not worry about their own interests, because they know that God has their best interests at heart. They know that when they are ready for promotion God can do it and nothing can prevent it from happening. Here too, Jesus is our example. Since Jesus was more concerned with us than with Himself, God has "highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). Today, let humility rule the day. Trust in God, and begin to appreciate the significance of those around you. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingDeuteronomy 5, 6, 7 Deuteronomy 5 -- Covenant in Horeb; Ten Commandments Recounted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Deuteronomy 6 -- Exhortation to Obedience and Prosperity NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Deuteronomy 7 -- Warnings and Rewards for Driving out Nations NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Mark 12:1-27 Mark 12 -- The Parable of the Tenants; Render to Caesar; Marriage at the Resurrection; Greatest Commandment; Widow's Offering NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion It is good to give thanks to the LORD,to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, Insight During the Thanksgiving holiday, we focus on our blessings and express our gratitude to God for them. But thanks should be on our lips every day. We can never say thank you enough to parents, friends, leaders, and especially to God. Challenge When thanksgiving becomes an integral part of your life, you will find that your attitude toward life will change. You will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Genesis 35:18 She called his name Ben-oni (son of sorrow), but his father called him Benjamin (son of my right hand).To every matter there is a bright as well as a dark side. Rachel was overwhelmed with the sorrow of her own travail and death; Jacob, though weeping the mother's loss, could see the mercy of the child's birth. It is well for us if, while the flesh mourns over trials, our faith triumphs in divine faithfulness. Samson's lion yielded honey, and so will our adversities, if rightly considered. The stormy sea feeds multitudes with its fishes; the wild wood blooms with beauteous flowerets; the stormy wind sweeps away the pestilence, and the biting frost loosens the soil. Dark clouds distil bright drops, and black earth grows gay flowers. A vein of good is to be found in every mine of evil. Sad hearts have peculiar skill in discovering the most disadvantageous point of view from which to gaze upon a trial; if there were only one slough in the world, they would soon be up to their necks in it, and if there were only one lion in the desert they would hear it roar. About us all there is a tinge of this wretched folly, and we are apt, at times, like Jacob, to cry, "All these things are against me." Faith's way of walking is to cast all care upon the Lord, and then to anticipate good results from the worst calamities. Like Gideon's men, she does not fret over the broken pitcher, but rejoices that the lamp blazes forth the more. Out of the rough oyster-shell of difficulty she extracts the rare pearl of honor, and from the deep ocean-caves of distress she uplifts the priceless coral of experience. When her flood of prosperity ebbs, she finds treasures hid in the sands; and when her sun of delight goes down, she turns her telescope of hope to the starry promises of heaven. When death itself appears, faith points to the light of resurrection beyond the grave, thus making our dying Ben-oni to be our living Benjamin. Daily Light on the Daily Path 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; Hebrews 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Philippians 3:21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Matthew 9:28,29 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." • Then He touched their eyes, saying, "It shall be done to you according to your faith." New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 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