We are often encouraged to be self-centered, to do what makes us happy, what is best for us, to put ourselves first. But in Philippians 2:3 we are instructed to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” In James 3:16 we read “where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” God’s word teaches us that selfishness is not good, it is sin, that we are to seek to put God and others first. However, self-centeredness can be hard to recognize and expose, especially in our own hearts. In this passage the Lord Jesus exposes self-centeredness and its consequences.
