Much religion is notorious for its worldliness while dressed up in pious clothes.  Jesus spoke strongly against it (Matthew 23:13-36).  On the other hand, there is a true religion as described in James 1:26-27: "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

False religion is marked by boasting of what we do.  Every religion based on human achievement in reaching higher goals is doomed to failure.  For some of Paul's readers, the family pedigree of Israel was a legacy which stirred personal pride.  Paul himself had every reason to join them, and before his conversion he was proud of his achievement of serving God – or so he thought (Philippians 3:4-6).  But after submitting to Jesus, even his heritage as part of God's ancient people was nothing compared with knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord (Philippians 3:7-9).

Serving God, truly, is not an achievement but a humble sacrifice of heart, mind and will in obedience to God's Word.  And so Paul, who rarely spoke about his personal experiences, was compelled to describe what Christ-centred service looked like by sharing his humiliating and painful experiences.  He did not do so to gain sympathy but to show how the real power is from God who sustained him. Unlike the travelling philosophers with their affluent lifestyle, on whom the super-apostles apparently modelled themselves, Paul had worked very hard and was rewarded by insults, beatings, prison confinement and almost died on several occasions.  What really mattered to him was not his own welfare but fulfilling Christ's calling and serving the spiritual welfare of others (Philippians 2:1-4).  

This is a serious challenge to the 21stC church.  While more believers are being persecuted today than at any other time in history, some powerful leaders become rich at the expense of those they should be serving.  They exhort a holiness they do not practise, seeking a popularity and powerbase that is not Christlike.  This results in some people becoming discouraged, either feeling abandoned or believing they can never attain God's best.  Others copy their arrogant leaders in trampling over their brothers and sisters.  Still others pursue worldly ambitions while ignoring those who suffer.  But there are true godly leaders and churches committed to humble, sacrificial service; men and women whose goal is to please the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9), to sow the seed of the gospel and reap the harvest – whatever the cost to themselves personally.  Which are you?