“Congratulations on your sales today, Peggy.” I had to force myself to say the words. It was even harder to be sincere. 

For weeks, I’d been asking God to help me consider others’ needs more often – including their need to succeed. So as I walked back to my office that day, I silently thanked God for giving me the grace to take this small step toward obeying Him.

Back then, as a sales executive for a Christian radio station in Louisiana, I was extremely performance-driven. I could barely function when my name didn’t appear at the top of the sales board. My attitude was destructive to me and to those around me. 

When I returned to radio sales in Florida many years later, I resolved to do it differently. With God’s help, I believed I could still be a great salesperson (maybe even the best), but do it with a more Christ-like attitude. I began memorizing and meditating on verses like Philippians 2:4 (ESV): 

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Do you ever struggle this way? What if we were to repent of our selfish ways and ask God to help us, at least once a day, make a conscious effort to take our focus off ourselves and look to the interest of someone else?

Imagine how applying Philippians 2:4 in our everyday lives would change us. Imagine how it would it change our relationships. For instance, what if I treated my husband, Bert, with Philippians 2:4 in mind? How would this change my marriage? 

When we live with others in mind, we become different people. Less selfish. More humble. We no longer act as if life is all about us, and we begin to see others and their needs in a clearer light. As a result, our witness (the way we live in front of those who are watching us) is no longer compromised, because we begin to behave – and love – like the One we claim to follow.

Don’t we want to be free from our selfish ambition and arrogance? I fail in this area way too often. Perhaps you do too. But I’m determined, with God’s help, to do better.

What about you?

• Are you performance-driven?
• If so, how has it affected your relationships with others?
• How has it affected your faith in God?

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