We have all experienced conversations in which the speaker referred to himself over and over again. “I,” ”me” or “myself” seem to arise in every sentence. Somehow our world has slipped into the error of gratifying self to the point of excess, regardless of what happens in the long run. Greed, avarice and envy abound. We strive to outdo our neighbor and continually amass more. Our companies strive to “maximize profits” with little concern whether we can sustain this lifestyle.

The wisdom of such thinking is ungodly. It comes from another source and is earthly, sensual and demonic (James 3:15-16). Gone are the days when a person shunned indebtedness and greed. Gone are the days when a decent profit was enough. Gone are the days where we were truly concerned about our neighbor. Present are the days of self-indulgence and carelessness. Present are the days of climbing over another in order to get ahead. “Me first” will be the death of the individual who succumbs to its allure. That path leads to destruction and unhappiness.