What’s in it For Us?

One of the top 10 bestselling motivational books of all time, “Looking Out for Number One,”-1 was first published in 1977, and since, has been released in dozens of editions and formats. The author’s additional book titles include “Winning through Intimidation,” “Million Dollar Habits,” and “Getting What you Want,” among others.

In “Looking Out for Number One,” the author argues strongly against generosity. For example, he says that if you “make the other person’s happiness your first responsibility, you pervert the laws of nature”…and, “Unless someone is poor because you robbed him, no downtrodden individual is your responsibility.” As Christians, we know the New Testament authors are telling us, of course, that if you follow such advice, you are perverting the law of God. Perhaps unsurprising to many, “Looking Out for Number One” persists as a major bestseller to this day. And we don’t need to look very far to see jarring examples of the looking-out-for-number-one attitude in our present, national discourse.

Why does…