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 NIV)
In Christianity, there are things we usually do that brings us blessings. Usually, not harboring pain, deceit, liars etc brings the air of wind of the Holy Ghost that brings good things to us. It is not prayer necessarily alone that brings answers to our needs. If you pray and lead a bad life, you destroy your own prayers. So prayer whiles you’re going through difficulties and doing the right things as a Christian brings answers quickly.
This is why the bible will encourage the Christian not to practice selfish ambitions and vain conceit. Remember we are talking about ‘principles’ as one of the important hedges the believer must protect. And the bible sees ‘selfish ambitions’ and ‘vain conceit’ as important principles the believer must avoid to keep the hedge. Our primary ambitions as believers is to be like Christ in all that we do, practice his statutes, tell people about Him and so on. Basically we must be ambassadors of Christ on earth. Those are the ‘positives’ as a believer.
So the believer must not aim to be rich to be iron-fist to the needy because when he was poor, he was at the mercy of the affluent in society. This is a negative ambition. The believer must recover from this and let his wealth be a blessing to the needy and support the activities of the kingdom. Most Christians misunderstand the portion of scripture in Psalm 71:13 that says, ‘Let those who accuse me be ashamed and destroyed. Let those who are trying to hurt me be covered with shame and disgrace’.
Understand that, it lies in the power of God to cause the accusers of David to be ashamed and destroyed. As soon as David prays this prayer demanding the destruction of his enemies without seeking God’s consent, it becomes a selfish ambition. Laban said, ‘It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ (Genesis 31:29). As soon as God revealed Himself to Laban, he withheld his hand from Jacob. This was a man that was not bent on carrying out his evil intentions at all cost. This is how to flee from vain ambitions.
God told the Israelites that, ‘He took them through the wilderness to humble them..’. (Deuteronomy 8:3). Yet, there are believers who so soon forget the lessons in the wilderness and become puffed up when God blesses or lifts them. Some can intentionally come to church late to attract attention. Everyone must turn and watch them enter and sit. That is vain conceit. In other words, ‘false self-importance’. Self-opinions of our lives which are not true. Christians who seek for positions in church and do not get, usually gestures to receive recognition but they’re all vain perceptions
Bible warns us in Romans 14:13b that we should do nothing to put stumbling blocks in the way of fellow believers. Humility is what makes us to consider others when we are doing things. Anyone who does things not considering his brother is proud and self-seeking. If Bible enjoins us to be humble then pride obviously gets rid of the hedge of God away from us. Selfish ambitions also promotes greediness which takes the hedge that must bring unhindered blessings to us. ‘Vain conceit’ seeks our own importance as protection instead of seeking God’s cover. God leaves us to our own fate under the circumstance. In the end, upon genuine repentance, His mercy finds us.
