“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.”

-Philippians 2:3

Ambition is the strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring  determination and hard work. St. Paul has no admonition against this. The keywords are “selfish ambition.” This is what the Saint considers  a wrong attitude for a Christian.

Author and Novelist Gore Vidal  once described, “Christianity as the greatest disaster ever to strike the West.”

He said, “It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” He added, “Whenever a friend succeeds, a little something in me dies.”

Sounds to be the kind of selfish ambition St. Paul was speaking of, to the Christians in Philippi.

Theologian William Barclay, commented, “Prestige is for many people an even greater temptation than wealth. To be admired and respected, to have a platform seat, to have one’s opinion sought, to be known by name and appearance,  even to be flattered,  are for many people most desirable things.”

Which is the greatest disaster to have ever visited mankind? Is it Christianity or selfish ambition?

Think about it my friend.