How should I deal with pettiness
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21
Do you ever think about how petty humans are? Pettiness means undue concern with trivial matters, especially of a spiteful nature. When you refer to someone as petty, you are referring to triviality or inconsiderate. Even someone who is mean, unkind, and vengeful comes to mind. Yet, I believe that the root of pettiness lies in your feelings.
My feelings recently got the best of me. I felt unappreciated or as if I was a nobody in the eyes of others. Different scenarios entered my mind about how I could retaliate to maintain the upper hand on specific individuals who I thought had hurt my feelings. I then realized that this flow of negativity came from my feelings without thinking about the evidences. If I lingered on my feelings, it would hinder me from achieving success in other areas of my life that are more meaningful, such as family, health, etc.
I believe the Apostle Paul realized the same when he was in prison, so he penned this epistle for the Philippians and incorporated a profound statement to overcome his feelings.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
This statement alone is a personal conviction that Paul states. However, before he announces his conviction, he explains the pettiness of fellow believers. Some of their motives for proclaiming the Gospel were purely selfish. In other words, they saw Paul as a threat to their ministry, so the worse things for Paul resulted in better things for them. (Philippians 1:15-17)
So, Paul replaced his feelings about their opposition with his conviction – to live is Christ and to die is gain. Primarily, the results of the Gospel always increase the Kingdom despite the pettiness of humans. Paul recognizes the truth that pettiness is meaningless when you share the Gospel with others. Therefore, the Apostle Paul embodied Christ as the sole reason for living instead of giving in to his feelings.
Likewise, as we experience ongoing pettiness from our fellow humans, follow Paul’s conviction instead of your feelings.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
