(3)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. (5) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.
Life seems to be easier when people cater to you. We prefer to let others do the work. This attitude leads to selfishness and hardness of heart towards the less fortunate as one begins to view them more as a commodity whose only purpose was to make life more comfortable for the elite. People who enjoy higher status are often protected from the consequences of their actions; therefore they may develop a certain arrogance that they are invincible and that others are put here to cater to them. We cater to those of higher status because they are able to open doors of opportunity to gain higher status for ourselves. We prefer associating with successful people in hopes their status will reflect kindly upon us.
True character is revealed in how we treat the people who cannot do for us; who cannot pave the way to a higher social status. We avoid those who have been dealt one bad hand after another in life for fear their lack of success will make others think that we, too, are ne’er-do-wells. No one likes to consider that misfortune can affect anybody; that people’s fortunes can turn on a dime. We delude ourselves into believing that if the person had planned better, saved more, and had not been so lazy, they would not be in such a position.
Two things most likely to undermine community and achievement of shared goals are selfish ambition and conceit. Selfish ambition shifts concern from communal benefit to advancing the status of ourselves or our group, even at the expense of the community. Putting the community first can be difficult when it is at odds with what is best for our own family or group.
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