Being Selfish

So you want to be a big shot?

 

I love to watch biography shows because it’s a great story. The first thirty minutes are awesome: humble beginnings, hard work, dedication, and determination. Then the second half of the show is usually starts with a downward spiral. It’s almost always that soon after a rise to the top people seem to crash to the bottom. Think about it. Stories such as this are found in the religious world, sports world, musicians, actors/actresses, politicians, and yes even our wrestling heroes. Even one of my all time favorite movies is about someone that has nothing, becomes somebody, and then crashes hard (“say hello to my little friend”). I also remember watching “The Wrestler” and it captivated me because of the rise and fall of a champion based on poor decisions.

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but to each of you to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4.

 

I find that in our ambitions to succeed and excel we place the focus on ourselves. We want to be the best speaker, motivator, orchestrator of words, leader, mentor, and captivator (wait…these are my desires!). What if we were to focus all that attention and energy into others? What if we were to help people with everything we got? I’m not saying to sale everything you have and live on the streets (unless God tells you too of course). What I am saying is that we need to focus on others.

 

If you are a Christian…the word means “Christ like” in rough translation. How did Jesus deal with success? Did he build himself up huge or always shift the focus to others? Even if you aren’t a Christian, look at Jesus. He has to be one of the all time greatest leaders and motivators in the history. According the Roman empire he started a cult that now is one of the biggest if not the loudest religions in the world (although I hate to use “religion” because of the connotations).

 

Below is a funny song that talks about selfish ambition and motives. Literally the title says it all! Strap on a buckle & the cowboy hat! My prayer for us this upcoming day is that we won't focus on "I" but on the "you" instead.