Vying for Mastery

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‘‘... There was strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest" (Luke 22:2424And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. (Luke 22:24)).
The names of the two sisters in the assembly at Philippi have gone on record, not for their honor but for their shame, as also a reproof for sisters or brothers who have such high esteem of themselves that they are unwilling to see another surpass them. We have watched goats vying with one another for the prominent place on the top of rocks, bucking one another down. Then there is the story of the two goats wanting to pass each other on a very narrow and precipitous mountain ledge. As locking horns would not do, one of the goats lay down and let the other walk over it. "Them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street, to them that went over" (Isa. 51:2323But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over. (Isaiah 51:23)). We can well afford to allow ourselves to be trampled on (1 Cor. 6:77Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? (1 Corinthians 6:7); 1 Peter 2:2323Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: (1 Peter 2:23)), though never the truth. "Yieldingness" as to our own things is beautiful; "stubbornness" is ugly, rigid, adamant.
Let your gentleness (yieldingness, "not insisting on your own rights") be known of all men (Phil. 4:55Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5), JND and footnote).
Insist not on your own rights, but never yield as to the truth... to whom we yielded... not even for an hour, that the truth...might remain with you..." (Gal. 2:55To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. (Galatians 2:5), JND).