in this world and this is true to a small degree . However selfish ambition never reaps the harvest we seek to find . In the end all we find is self and misery . James puts it like this “ Who among you is wise and understanding ? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom . 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart , do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth . 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above , but is earthly , natural , demonic . 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist , there is disorder and every evil thing .” ( James 3:13-16 NASB ) When a person decides to venture out to gain only what is best for themselves , all they find is “ disorder and every evil thing ”. In Philippians 2 and
James 3 we find the same word in the Greek for selfish ambition , eritheia which means fraction , strife , self-seeking ( Strong ’ s Concordance p . 1553 ). In other words , a person who seeks gain by selfish ambition seeks after selfish things to gain selfish outcomes . Where selfish ambition is allowed to grow you can bet havoc will follow .
What selfish ambition leads to is strife , jealousy , disorder , hurt and destruction to all it ensnares . What selfish ambition does is destroy families as one or both parents seek their own agenda rather than that of the whole family . Businesses are spoiled as individuals fail to work as a team and seek after their own benefits rather than the well-being of the whole team . Churches are led to ruin as church members and clergy look to their own needs more so than that of the body . Communities lay in waste as self-seeking city official ’ s chase their own agendas rather than the good of the people . As we enter into an election year , nearly everyone in America watches closely as each candidate reveals their plan . Whether it is on a state level or for the Presidency one cannot help wonder which ones are seeking the good of the many or seeking after their own selfish agenda . The outcome will impact cities , states and a nation . No one is left out when the truth is revealed . Everything will be affected .
The remedy to such a dilemma is simple . We look again to Philippians 2 : 3-4 “ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit , but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves ; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests , but also for the interests of others .” Look after the interest of others . Put others first . Value others and their needs . Don ’ t seek after our own desires but consider others and the needs they may have . If you find yourself being driven by your own desires and really haven ’ t given a thought to the needs of others isn ’ t it time to rethink the path you are on . Remember Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 , they were seeking to look good in the eyes of others and at the same time sought to hold back for themselves . Their end was not pretty . Put others first , seek to lay aside any selfish-ambition that we find in Philippians and James . You ’ ll find the end to be much brighter .