Need a Self Esteem boost? Don't read Ryle, Spurgeon, Calvin or Philippians 2!! They don't think you do.!!

Let all who desire to please Christ, watch and pray against self-esteem. It is a feeling which is deeply rooted in our hearts. Thousands have come out from the world, taken up the cross, professed to forsake their own righteousness, and believe in Christ, who have felt irritated and annoyed when a person has been more honored than themselves. These things ought not so to be. We ought often to ponder the words of Paul, “Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves.” (Phil 2:3) Blessed is that person who can sincerely and gladly rejoice when others are exalted, though they themselves are overlooked and passed by!

– J.C. Ryle 

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Philippians 2:5-11New King James Version (NKJV)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A couple of challenges from Philippians

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Philippians 2:14+15

So as well as thinking of ways to encourage each other, lets try stopping ourselves complaining!
(Well, that's a challenge to me even if it isn't to anyone else!)

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.¹² Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵ Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule,^[a] let us be of the same mind." Philippians 3:7-16

Is knowing Christ our consuming desire? Do we long to know Him better? Can any of us say with Paul that we count "all things as rubbish" that we may gain Christ?

Just thought I'd share these challenges. :) In fact, the whole book is full of challenges. (I'll leave you to decide whether you think I mean the book of Philippians or the Book of the Bible. Or maybe I mean both?)