Maybe It's Better to Look Out for #1 After All

Scripture — 1 Corinthians 10:24, 10:31-11:1 (NIV)

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. . . .
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Devotion

In yesterday’s Life for Leaders devotion, I began by mentioning a book I read during my college years, Looking Out for #1 by Robert Ringer. His main point was that we should make decisions based on “rational self-interest.” We should always choose to do what is best for ourselves based on the careful use of reason. Though this book was a bestseller, I wasn’t terribly impressed when I first read it. And I’m still unenthusiastic today, as I noted in my last devotion.

I expect you aren’t surprised by my lack of enthusiasm for Ringer’s book. In my devotion, I contrasted it with what we find in Scripture, namely, a call to seek the good of others, not our own good (1 Cor 10:24). We are to do this in imitation of Christ, who sought what was best for us, even to the point of sacrificing his own for our benefit (1 Cor 11:1).

Thus, it would seem at first glance that a thoughtful Christian should reject the moral teachings of Robert Ringer. We should not look out for #1, but rather for others. As it says in Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” That seems to clinch the case for putting others first rather than looking out for #1.

But now, I have second thoughts. No, I’m not abandoning biblical teaching. Rather, I’m rethinking the profound truth unintentionally conveyed by Ringer’s title, Looking Out for #1. He didn’t acknowledge this truth, of course. But it’s there in black and white, nevertheless.

I agree with Ringer’s point that we should guide our lives by looking out for #1. Where he and I disagree is on the meaning of #1. Ringer uses the phrase “number one” self-referentially. His book could have been entitled “Looking Out for Yourself” or, I suppose, “Looking Out for Me.” “Looking Out for #1” is a stronger title, however. Not only is it catchier, but also, it implies that the self is what matters most. In your life, you are number one. You are the most important.

Christians, however, see things differently. We find this distinct perspective in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, in the chapter where it says we should seek the good of others, not ourselves. Paul is discussing a nagging problem for the believers in Corinth, related to eating meat that had been offered to idols. Should Christians abstain from such meat? Or are they free in Christ to go ahead and enjoy it? What if a host offers such meat to them when they’re a guest? Though the context and application may not be simple, Paul’s answer is rather straightforward: “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” When you have the opportunity to eat meat offered to idols, don’t prioritize your pleasure, reputation, or piety. Rather, do what’s best for the people around you.

But then Paul adds something else, something unexpected, something of exceptional importance: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (10:31, NIV). Yes, doing what’s best for others matters. But something has an even higher priority . . . doing what glorifies God. This imperative is relevant to the eating and drinking issue. But it applies much more broadly, to “whatever you do,” to every action, every decision, everything. We are to “do it all for the glory of God.”

Or we might say, borrowing a phrase from Robert Ringer, we are to do it all for #1, for the biggest, best, and most important #1 there is; namely, God. As Jesus says, quoting the Old Testament, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matt 22:37-38). Why is this the first and greatest commandment? Because God is the first and greatest, period. Loving God is what matters most because God matters most.

So, it’s possible to say that, in all parts of life and leadership, we should always look out for #1. I agree with Ringer’s title, just not his assumption of who is #1 in life. In fact, even before I seek what’s best for my neighbor, I am committed to knowing and doing what’s best for my Lord. (Well, at least that’s what I’m striving for, by grace, however imperfectly. I’m still pretty good at looking out for myself.) Ringer is almost right when he says, “Self-interest is genetically programmed into every human being. You have no choice in the matter” (p. 83). I say “almost right” because our self-interest is now tainted and twisted by sin. So, yes, it may be genetically programmed into us, but that’s not how God intended us to be from the beginning.

In tomorrow’s devotion, I’ll continue this discussion, sharing a moving story of someone who imitated Christ by seeking first the good of another person. Stay tuned . . . .

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Do Your Work in a Worthy Manner (Philippians 1:27–2:11).