Pop artist Andy Warhol once said that in the television age everyone would have 15 minutes of fame. Yes, fame may come to us, but we should not seek it.

Selfish ambition is a terrible trait that can manifest itself in an ugly passion for the "best seats," and for personal recognition. It can cause us to dominate social situations and insist on telling our stories instead of listening to others. We want to be noticed, to be prominent, to be in the limelight rather than on the sidelines.

God's way, however, is just the opposite. It means learning to be content when others are elevated above ourselves. We learn to rejoice when someone else is preferred over us, and we give credit to others without insisting on getting it all for ourselves. God's way enables us to accept humiliation when treated unfairly and to view the experience as a "disguised grace"—an opportunity to learn true humility.

We begin to learn God's way from Jesus. He was "gentle and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29) and didn't try to protect His own dignity or position (Philippians 2:5-8). By relying on Him again and again for His help, we become more and more like Him. Only then can we find rest from the posturing and restless striving of selfish ambition.  —DHR  — David H. Roper